1. Women in the Workforce: United States France Egypt LER 554 – Presentation Katie Lambert Jackie Tate Natasha Rawal Marc Katz November 4, 2008

2. FRANCEEGYPT Fast Facts 64,057,792 Population 81,713,520 Paris Capital Cairo French Language Arabic Euro Currency Egyptian Pd $32,600 GDP $5,000 $27.91 M Labor Force $22.1 M 7.9% UE Rate 9.1% 0.96 Gender ratio 1.02 Country Snapshots *Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

3. History – U.S.  In the early 19th century women were excluded from many employment opportunities  Industrial Revolution and World War I & II  Increase of women working outside the home  Labor Laws protecting women  Pregnancy Discrimination Act  Equal Pay Act  Civil Rights Act - Title VII

4. History – France Family Policy Family Policy  Encouraged women to stay at home and serve as child care givers Increase of women in the workplace Increase of women in the workplace l’égalité professionnelle l’égalité professionnelle The Government’s Code of Action on Equality The Government’s Code of Action on Equality  Most recently, the French government created the first legal framework of gender equality

5. History - Egypt  1952 Revolution  1956 Constitution  Granted full political rights for women  Increasing workforce participation of women since the 1970s  Some reactionary movements also began at this time  National Council on Women

6. US Federal Law Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964 Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964  Prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (including pregnancy), race, color, national origin, and religion for any employment decision Recent developments: GLBT Recent developments: GLBT  Most common application: Hiring/firing based on gender, sexual harassment (quid pro quo and hostile work environment), retaliation Equal Pay Act (of Fair Labor Standards Act) Equal Pay Act (of Fair Labor Standards Act)  Where work is equal and performance requires same skill and responsibility, employer cannot pay less than the they pay opposite sex Family and Medical Leave Act Family and Medical Leave Act  Mandates that employers with 50 or more employees give employees 12 weeks per year of unpaid leave for: birth of a child, adoption/foster care, serious health condition, care for spouse/child with serious health condition

7. French Employment Law French Labor Code, Article L. 122-45 (1982) French Labor Code, Article L. 122-45 (1982)  No employment decisions (hiring, firing, promotion, recruiting, salary, etc.) can be made on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, origin, morals, pregnancy/family situations, race, nationality, genetic characteristics, political opinions, etc.  Incorporates older anti-racism statute that provides for both Civil and Criminal penalties for making employment decisions based on race French Labor Code, Section V: French Labor Code, Section V:  Women are entitled to a total of 16 weeks of paid maternity leave (6 weeks before, 10 weeks after birth) and additional 22 weeks if complications. 90% of base wage, paid out of social security 90% of base wage, paid out of social security Men entitled to 3 days of paid within 15 days of birth Men entitled to 3 days of paid within 15 days of birth  Cannot terminate employee during leave or 1 month after Another major difference: No “at will employment” Another major difference: No “at will employment”

8. Egyptian Employment Law Women cannot work outside their home if husband is opposed to the activity Women cannot work outside their home if husband is opposed to the activity Adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (political, economic, social, etc.) but only to extent that it doesn’t conflict with Islamic Law Adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (political, economic, social, etc.) but only to extent that it doesn’t conflict with Islamic Law  Egypt makes “reservations” to these laws  CEDAW has made significant strides to equality of women Maternity Leave: One-time 90 day full paid leave if woman has spent 10 months working for company. Maternity Leave: One-time 90 day full paid leave if woman has spent 10 months working for company.

9. Social Issues – U.S. Challenges Challenges  Work-life balance  Cracking the motherhood ceiling – being pushed or opting out of jobs  Even today, pay discrepancy exist  Due to current crisis, percentage of working women has decreased  Struggle with getting optimal retirement plans Trends/ Improvements Trends/ Improvements  Delaying marriages and having children later  Searching for family-friendly companies  Flexible schedules emerging – 26% in 2007  Working from home and keeping connection with company  Venturing into entrepreneurships

10. Social Issues - France Challenges Challenges  On average, women are paid 20% lower in same full time jobs  In top 5,000 French companies, women only account for 7% of executives  Family life and domestic chores seen as "affaire de femmes" (women's responsibilities).  Poor pension plans - According to a 2004 survey, women over 60 receive monthly pension averaging $1,380 against $2,200 for men. For women over 85, monthly pensions dropped to $1,070 versus $1,760 for men Trends/ Improvements Trends/ Improvements  Having children does not mean the end of a mother’s career  Many women take on part time jobs after having children – 85% of PT jobs in France are held by women  More academically qualified than men (high human capital) – however, do not receive the same job opportunities

11. Social Issues - Egypt Challenges Challenges  Huge sexual harassment escalation – 10% of women are harassed according to local survey results  Combating negative female stereotypes  Skepticism about the government's capacity to improve women's lives  Fighting against Islamic views of women Trends/ Improvements Trends/ Improvements  More access to education  Men gradually accepting female workers due to high cost of living and need for extra income  Benefit of experiencing financial freedom  Influence through media