Reconciliation: The Theme of the 19th Edition of the Women’s Forum. 1,500 people attend the event in person, while 10,000 join online. Like every year, the aim of this event is to promote women’s representation and enhance gender diversity in all areas of societal power.
“Since discrimination is systemic, our fight must be holistic to combat inequality,” explains Leila Grison, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Publicis. “We must fight all inequalities, especially those among women,” she continues. “Whether it’s access to higher education, the right to equality in public spaces, representation in the media, equal access to entrepreneurship, equality in culture, and within cultures. By advocating for all women, regardless of their social status, religion, nationality, skin color, income, health status, choices regarding children, sexual orientation, or academic background.”
Building a Just World
Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly, present at the event, states: “Reconciliation is not about silencing differences or denying divergences; it’s about building bridges where some insist on erecting walls.” Together, women and men have the power to foster reconciliation and create a fairer world.
Over two days, topics such as education, mental health, work, culture, justice, and the environment are discussed to provide concrete and actionable elements for greater equality for women.
Reinventing Models: Creating New Representations of Women
One of the discussions features Agathe Bousquet, President of Publicis, Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, Director of L’Oréal Paris, Reem Kherici, filmmaker and actress, and Cindy Bruna, model. Indeed, creative industries, like fashion and cinema, are still predominantly male-dominated. Iconic female characters are often portrayed in ways that do not reflect reality—idealized, challenging the natural, and almost “inhuman” or very stereotypical.
The goal is to understand how to ensure that female role models, actresses, authors, or producers are recognized and respected in their fields.
Including and Uniting: Reconciling Interests
“Unexplored Potential: Welcoming Disabled Persons” is another discussion featuring Arnaud Assoumani, Paralympic athlete, Barbara Sessa, Vice President in charge of Europe products for MasterCard, and Jessica Chamba, Global Head of Personal Services at EY. Referred to as “invisible talents,” only 28% of them are employed, compared to 75% for non-disabled individuals. Companies often miss unique perspectives and skills. Research shows that companies promoting employee diversity are 33% more likely to outperform their peers.
The aim is to demonstrate that by adopting an inclusive culture, it is possible to create a fluid and equitable environment where everyone can contribute.
The Longest Fight in the World
Since the creation of the Women’s Forum in 2005, women’s rights have seen positive evolution, although particularly slow. It highlights women fighting to revive unity, combat inequalities, and take concrete action against discrimination faced by women. “The fight for equality is surely the longest battle in humanity,” asserts Nannette La Fond Dufour, President of the Women’s Forum.
Women should not be systematically viewed as victims. They actively participate in the development and construction of a more just society.