Paris mayor: Fine for employing too many women ‘absurd’

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo stated that receiving a fine for employing too many women in senior positions within the city is “absurd.”

Hidalgo’s comments came after a fine of 90,000 euros ($110,000) was requested from her by France’s public service ministry citing that Paris’s city hall broke rules by staffing more women in 2018 than men.

“I am happy to announce that we have been fined,” Hidalgo said during a city council meeting, noting that the fine was absurd, according to Yahoo News.

Hidalgo’s fine came as a result of her staffing 11 women and only five men in management positions in 2018, Yahoo News reported.

“The management of the city hall has, all of a sudden, become far too feminist,” Hidalgo said with a laugh. She added that the fine brought her joy.

The rule, which was created in 2013, stated that no more than 60 percent of new appointments to management positions in public service should go to one sex, according to BBC.

“This fine is obviously absurd, unfair, irresponsible and dangerous,” Hidalgo said.

France’s public service minister, Amélie de Montchalin, weighed in on the situation on Twitter, writing that the “absurd” provision was repealed in 2019.

.@Anne_Hidalgo, la cause des femmes mérite mieux ! Nous avons abrogé cette disposition absurde dès 2019. Je veux que l’amende payée par Paris pour 2018 finance des actions concrètes de promotion des femmes dans la fonction publique. Je vous invite au ministère pour les évoquer ! https://t.co/QyIYA41mBv

— Amélie de Montchalin (@AdeMontchalin) December 15, 2020

“I want the fine paid by Paris for 2018 to finance concrete actions to promote women in the public service. I invite you to the ministry to discuss them!” she said.