Bridging the Gender Pay Gap through Transparency

I am honored to have contributed as an author to the groundbreaking book, Bridging the Gender Pay Gap through Transparency, forthcoming in December 2024 from Edward Elgar Publishing. This book explores gender pay inequity, assessing the effectiveness of pay transparency legislation (PTL) and other tools to address systemic disparities.

As a French lawyer with extensive experience in gender equality law across France, Germany, and Europe, and through my work at Cabinet ELAGE, I brought my expertise and analysis to this publication. My chapter focuses on France’s Professional Equality Index—an innovative tool that evaluates pay equity within companies through measurable indicators. This index fosters transparency and accountability, aligning with European Union objectives for gender equality. I analyzed its successes and challenges while offering suggestions for enhancing its effectiveness.

The book highlights key themes, including the historical evolution of gender pay laws, the barriers limiting PTL’s success, and how transparency can tackle intersecting forms of discrimination. By examining case studies from Sweden, Germany, and Ireland, the book reveals the diversity of global strategies to close the gender pay gap. France’s approach, as presented in my chapter, contributes to this comparative framework, offering lessons for international policymakers.

Throughout my career in Germany and France, I have witnessed the transformative potential of transparency in advancing workplace equity. Pay transparency exposes disparities and drives accountability, encouraging employers to adopt fair compensation practices. However, effective implementation requires legal measures to align with socio-cultural efforts, underscoring the need for cooperation among governments, employers, and civil society.

This interdisciplinary work brings together legal scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to provide actionable solutions. It serves as both a resource and a call to action for stakeholders committed to achieving gender equity.

I invite readers to explore “Bridging the Gender Pay Gap through Transparency” when it becomes available in December 2024. It has been a privilege to contribute to a work that combines comparative analysis with practical solutions, offering a roadmap for tackling one of the most pressing challenges of our time. France’s Professional Equality Index, as analyzed in my chapter, reflects my dedication to advancing equity through transparency and innovation.

Special thanks to my so inspiring friend Katharina Miller lawyer in Spain and co-publisher of this important book together with Laura Carlson and Sara Benedi Lahuerta

Sara Benedí Lahuerta, Katharina Miller, and Laura Carlson (eds), Bridging the Gender Pay Gap through Transparency. Comparative Approaches and Key Regulatory Conundrums (forthcoming with Edward Elgar in December 2024).