Poor funding and weak measures 'bury' gender equality in France warns Oxfam

President Emmanuel Macron's promise of greater gender equality has been "buried" due to insufficient budgets and weak measures, NGO Oxfam France has warned, just days before International Women's Day.

President Macron made the fight for gender equality and against violence against women "a national priority" when he came into office in 2017. But ambitions have been "buried" the French branch of anti-poverty charity Oxfam said on Monday.

French women still earn 23.5 percent less than their male counterparts in the private sector, and France was ranked the 48th country in the world for economic gender equality by the World Economic Forum in 2024, Oxfam said in a statement released Monday, in the lead up to International Women's day on 8 March.

While successive governments under Macron have announced strong measures such as equitable shared parental leave, a public early childhood service, and a reform of the professional equality index (Egapro), they've been "slow to materialise".

"A real public early childhood service is essential to reducing gender inequalities, given that women still sacrifice their careers when children arrive," said Sandra Lhote Fernandes, Oxfam France's gender justice campaign manager.

Macron has repeatedly rejected accusations of inaction.

Oxfam argues this is insufficient, representing just 0.02 percent of the overall state budget.

(with newswires)