National Anti-Sexism Day

Since 2024, France has held a National Anti-Sexism Day every 25 January. As indicated on the website of the Ministry responsible for equality between women and men and the fight against discrimination, the aim of this day is to ‘raise society's awareness of this issue [...], promote local and national initiatives [...], increase the number of actions taken by the public authorities [...], and establish this day as a permanent fixture on the French landscape in order to make the fight against sexism a key element in the success of French policy in favour of equality between women and men’.

At ESSEC, a Charter for the Respect for Others was introduced in 2019 to combat such discrimination. With its Centre for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, the institution also encourages the implementation of concrete actions and projects: For example, an e-learning module entitled ‘Preventing and combating everyday sexism in the workplace’ has been set up.

At the same time, K-lab is hosting an exhibition on the subject.

You will find below a selection of documents to inform you: 

Book

• Gates, Melinda. The moment of lift : how empowering women changes the world. Bluebird, 2019, 288 p.
• Goldin, Claudia. Career & family : women’s century-long journey toward equity. Princeton University Press, 2023, 344 p.
• Criado Perez, Caroline. Invisible women : exposing data bias in a world designed for men. Vintage, 2020, 411 p.
• Powell, Gary N. Women & men in management. 5th edition. SAGE, 2019, 296 p.
• Saini, Angela. The patriarchs : how men came to rule. 4th Estate, 2024, 320 p.

Academic articles

•  2GAP. Pilhes, Nathalie. The equal participation of women and men in governance is a prerequisite for sustainable peace and development. Cahiers Sens public, 2024/1, n°32, p. 31-50.
• Cannizzo, Fabian & Strong, Catherine. Put some balls on that woman’: Gendered repertoires of inequality in screen composers’ careers. Gender, work, and organization, 27 (6), 2020, p. 1346–1360.
• Dlamini, Nobuhle Judy. Gender-Based Violence, Twin Pandemic to COVID-19. Critical sociology. 47 (4–5), 2021, p. 583–590.
• Friesen, Amanda. Hunt, Kate. Benevolent sexism competed with hypermasculinity in high-stakes campaigns in the U.S. and Ireland. The Conversation, 12th of November 2024.
• Goyal, Rita. et al. Female board directors’ resilience against gender discrimination. Gender, work, and organization. 30 (1), 2023, p. 197–222.
• Vachhani, Sheena J. Pullen, Alison. Ethics, politics and feminist organizing: Writing feminist infrapolitics and affective solidarity into everyday sexism. Human relations. 72 (1), 2019, p. 23–47.

Newspaper articles

• Coffey, Helen. Medical sexism is putting women’s lives in danger. The Independent, 26th of September 2024. 

Videos

• A Women's World. Arte, 8th of April 2021. 
• Editor of Somalia's first all-female media on challenging gender stereotypes. France 24, 2025. 
• Ukrainian Women in 'Male' Jobs. Arte, 20th of May 2024. 
• Moore, Lex. What the Barbie movie reveals about gender roles. Tedx Talks, 2024. 

Radio/Podcasts 

• Bithrey, Jon. Fighting sexism in society. BBC. People Fixing The World, 2024.
• Sexism Is Everywhere. Harvard Business Review, Women at work, season 9, episode 8, 2023.