Contrasting figures in the video games sector
24% of women and 5% of non-binary people in development studios (a rising figure, up from 14% in 2019). 26.7% of students at video games schools are women (up from 26% in 2019).
(Source: Women in Games France studies)
Equality between women and men, an obligation for employers sanctioned by the nullity of prohibited actions and criminal penalties
It is prohibited to:
- 1: mention or cause to be mentioned in a job advertisement the sex or marital status of the candidate sought. This prohibition applies to all forms of advertising relating to recruitment, regardless of the nature of the proposed employment contract;
- 2: refuse to hire, transfer, terminate or refuse to renew an employee's employment contract on the grounds of sex, marital status or pregnancy on the basis of different selection criteria according to sex, marital status or pregnancy;
- 3: take any measure on the grounds of sex or pregnancy, in particular with regard to pay, training, assignment, qualification, classification, professional promotion or transfer.
The achievement of real professional equality driven by the legislator in different ways
The obligation of equal treatment
A clear principle: all employers must ensure that women and men receive equal pay for equal work or work of equal value. Failure to comply with this principle is a source of litigation and generates costs for companies.
Name and shame: companies with at least 50 employees are required to publish an equality index out of 100, comprising various indicators relating to equality between men and women. Any company posting a score under 75/100 must put in place a remedial plan to bring itself into line within 3 years. If, after 3 years, the score of 75 is still not reached, a financial penalty of up to 1% of the payroll may be applied.
Balanced representation of women and men in executive teams
- Companies with at least 1,000 employees must publish the men-women representation gap in their senior management teams and executive management bodies (such as management committee or executive committee).
- As from 1 March 2026, companies must comply with a 30% quota of women among senior managers and on executive bodies (this percentage will be increased to 40% from 1 March 2029A).
In conclusion, effective equality between men and women still needs to be improved in the video games sector, as in other sectors.
Our employment law department can help you:
- identify potential risks;
- train your managers in the applicable rules;
- defend you in the event of litigation in court.
