Rixain Law: 30% women on the COMEX by 2026, French tech wants to be a driving force

As the first deadline of the Rixain law approaches, Nova In tech (Numeum) and the IT au Féminin association brought together 230 digital industry leaders for an evening devoted entirely to gender diversity in management bodies. The aim was to make parity a lever for performance, rather than a regulatory constraint.

230 managers, including 75 men, to discuss gender equality

In the room, 230 participants, including 75 men, executives and managers, came to talk about gender equality. For the 7thᵉ edition of the ” Les Champions de la mixité ” afterwork, co-organized with IT au Féminin, the tone was set right from the opening by Brigitte Tropenat, its co-founder.

” Acting for gender diversity is not a matter for women, but for society and business “, she reminds us. If these 75 male executives come out in the evening,” she insists, “it’s because they’re ready to support and get involved. The very concept of these afterworks stems from a simple observation: convinced women often get together amongst themselves. To speed things up, we now need to put men at the heart of the educational process.

” We need to invite men to become good students on the subject of gender diversity,” sums up Brigitte Tropenat.

The Rixain law sets the course: 30% women in comex by 2026

At the heart of the evening: the Rixain law, to be voted in 2021, which imposes a minimum representation of women in the management bodies of major companies. Maÿlis Staub, President of Nova in Tech, and Brigitte Tropenat recall the milestones:

• 30% women on executive and management committees in companies with more than 1,000 employees by 1ᵉʳ March 2026;
• 40% from 2030;
• penalties of up to 1% of payroll for non-compliance.

The digital sector wants to/can set an example.

52.2% of Numeum members already exceed the 30% quota for women in management bodies

Maÿlis Staub reveals fresh figures compiled from Numeum members with over 1,000 employees:

• 7% of companies still do not publish their percentage of women in senior management;

• 47.8% remain below 30% women;
• 52.2% already have at least 30% women;
• and 41.7% even exceed 50% women in their comex.

These figures show real progress,” she says. Our industry is proving that it can move fast and speak out on these issues. “

Gender diversity is an essential safeguard in a sector turned upside down by AI and data

For Maÿlis Staub, ” Our sector is going through a revolution of rare intensity: data, AI, new skills… An unbalanced organization produces biases, blind spots. Gender diversity is an essential safeguard to efficiently steer what’s coming. “

A digital industry that mobilizes only part of its collective intelligence is depriving itself of a strategic asset. ” Our ecosystem continues to function without calling on all our intelligence. We can no longer continue to live with these imbalances. “she insists.

“France can and must lead Europe on the issue of gender diversity”.

Véronique Torner, President of Numeum, shares three convictions:

1. Skills: gender diversity becomes a competitive and sovereignty issue.
2. Collective action: companies will only move forward if they move forward together; over 70% of them have made a commitment, notably via the Equipe De France du Numérique (EDFN) collective.
3. Feminization at all levels: parity must concern the entire chain, from juniors to comex.

France can and must be Europe’s driving force on these issues,” she asserts.. Gender diversity at the top: a reality, not just an ambition. “

From the CAC 40 to large digital administrations: parity as a competitive advantage

When Marjorie Paillon, the evening’s host, asked the question ” Mixité: leadership inclusif, moteur ou nécessité? “, the representatives of France’s major digital players were unanimous.

For Florence Verzelen, Executive Vice President of Dassault Systèmes, parity is a matter of strategic necessity: ” In a tech company, imagining not having parity is crazy. Not having parity means choosing to play with only half the available intelligence. “At Dassault Systèmes :

• 40% women on the Dassault Systèmes comex ;
• 30% female employees, with a one-point increase each year.

The dynamic continues to vary from country to country: science courses attract more women in the Nordic countries and Canada than in some French schools, where the proportion of women is falling.

Philippe Neto, EVP at Thalès, insists on the social responsibility of tech leaders: ” The challenge of collective intelligence requires us to act upstream. Parents, managers, executives: we are the embodiment of this issue for future generations. Socially, we bear a responsibility throughout the digital ecosystem. “

For Henri d’Agrain, General Delegate of Cigref, the stakes are as much economic as societal: ” In 2016, we were at 12% to 15% women in a context of skills shortage. We can’t be satisfied with a digital system designed and developed solely by men. “Since then, the proportion has risen by 17 to 18 points, but the “momentum remains too weak”.

Thalès achieves a 30% increase in six years thanks to a quantified gender diversity policy

The Rixain law pushes companies to measure what they previously did more intuitively. At Thalès, Philippe Neto reminds us of a principle: ” What can’t be measured doesn’t count “. The group has seen a 30% increase in the proportion of women in six years (from 16% to 22%), but trajectories vary according to size, international scope and business line.

Equal pay and parity are also becoming comex topics among Cigref members. The situation is sometimes stark: “There are more women in the Navy today than in the digital professions,” notes Henri d’Agrain . . We had to act rigorously and firmly, and leave no stone unturned when it came to the sexist environment. It’s this level of demand that we need to establish in companies. “

Wavestone, Keyrus and Inetum introduce parity in their KPIs, recruitment and governance

Second sequence of the evening: tech ETIs, who see the Rixain law as a transformation project in its own right.

For Pascal Imbert, CEO of Wavestone, the realization came late: ” You’re not born with parity, you become it “, he sums up. The Copé-Zimmermann law on boards of directors acted as an electroshock. “At first, I saw it as a constraint. Three years later, I’ve noticed that the board is working better, with less “entre-soi”.

At Wavestone, an internal collective, Wavestone for Wall, is also shaking up certainties by showing that the experience of women, LGBT+ people and minorities in the company brings benefits. The result is concrete action plans: KPIs, CSR audits, gender diversity criteria integrated into future acquisitions.

Eric Cohen, founder and CEO of Keyrus, emphasizes diversity as the foundation of his company:

• an open culture from the outset;
• the first highly feminized teams;
• an in-house foundation committed to these issues;
• and a “KWIN” Keyrus Women In Networking program, launched in 2023 by a female executive in Canada, to structure the mentoring and promotion of women in organizations.

” Gender balance brings sustainable performance and helps make better decisions,” he explains, advocating both an internal and external approach.

Philippe Pujalte, Deputy CEO of Inetum Euromed, arrived at Inetum at the height of the Covid crisis, just as the Rixain law was being debated :

• obligation to have male/female candidates for each position;
• systematic wage alignment ;
• gender diversity objectives monitored over time.

” Having to pass a law shows that parity doesn’t come naturally. Without a framework, it would take thirty years. But the situation is urgent “he warns. And AI adds further pressure: ” If it’s only men designing AI, we’re going to skew our technologies and the way we operate. ”

Inetum is aiming for 30% by 2026, but is concerned about one specific point: the pool of talent at lower hierarchical levels, which is essential if we are to achieve the 40% target thereafter.

Attracting female talent: Dassault Systèmes creates an “O’gure” app to help young girls project themselves into scientific careers

Attracting more women to the digital professions remains a shared challenge. At Dassault Systèmes, an application called O’gure helps young girls project themselves into scientific and tech careers through games and job scenarios. ” Several tens of thousands of young girls have already used it “, says Florence Verzelen with satisfaction, as she calls on managers to pass on the tool to their networks and families.

The leaders present agreed: the battle is being waged from primary school onwards. Society’s “software” still too often pushes girls away from science and technology.

Berger-Levrault: a comex transformed in two years

In conclusion, Galliane Touze (CEO) and Sophie de Toré (Director of Strategy and Development) described the transformation of Berger-Levrault (software publisher with 40,000 customers in France, Canada and Spain). At the start of 2022, the picture is classic:

• no women on the comex;
• only 6% of women in management;
• but 44% of women in the Group as a whole, a significant pool of talent.

Within 24 months, under the impetus of Galliane Touze and Sophie de Thoré, the trajectory changed gear:

• 3 women on the comex in nine months;
• 48% women in management bodies;
• 44% of managers are women.

The turnaround is based on a number of levers:

1. Change of governance and generation, with a comex committed to these issues.
2. Identification of a pool of female talent and promotion to managers.
3. Support for women: confidence, training, taking on responsibilities.
4. Recruitment policy with an explicit focus on gender diversity.

” These are simple actions, but put together, they have a powerful impact ,” sums up Sophie de Thoré.

The Berger-Levrault Foundation, which focuses on inclusive and sustainable digital development, supports projects to retrain women in the tech industry and initiatives for young girls.

The anecdote brings a smile to the room: by realigning women’s salaries, the company loses 15 points on its internal indicator in 2024, proof that it has “over-favored women” over the period. Above all, it’s a sign of a long-delayed catch-up.

Turning male managers into allies for gender equality

Throughout the evening, one idea recurs: diversity is about sharing responsibility, not offloading it.

For Brigitte Tropenat, as long as men don’t perceive the obstacles faced by women in their careers in concrete terms, education will remain slow. Hence the importance of inviting them, exposing them to testimonials, and asking them to getinvolved as sponsors, mentors and recruiters who demand parity.

Eric Cohen insists on the need to measure, encourage and raise awareness:

• systematically invite men to events;
• highlighting the careers of successful women;
• show that gender diversity produces visible results in organizations.

At Inetum, we integrate this expectation into our values, recruitment and appointment processes. ” There’s no frontal resistance, but it’s not a natural mode. It’s up to us to anchor it so that it becomes one. “explains Philippe Pujalte.

From law to practice: a race against time

The Rixain law sets quotas and sanctions. The tech leaders present that evening added another horizon: to make gender diversity at the top a competitive advantage, a signal sent to young talent, a bulwark against the biases that threaten AI and organizations.

And Galliane Touze, quoting Christine Lagarde, reminds us of the decisive role of the legal framework: ” When we don’t legislate, we find excuses; when we do legislate, we find women.

To find out more about what we do, visit our Nova In tech page https://numeum.fr/nova-in-tech/