Paris’ mayor fined $100K for appointing too many women

Is there such a thing as too many women in leadership positions?

Oui, according to France’s Ministry of Public Service, which recently served Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo with a fine of 90,000 euros (about $109,470) for appointing too many women as city officials, NPR reported.

French law dictates that men and women must be represented in local government at a rate of at least 40% each.

In 2018, her office hired 11 women and five men into senior roles — giving women a 69% majority for new appointments.

On Tuesday, Hidalgo tweeted that she and the women serving alongside her would gladly travel to deliver the fee personally.

Hidalgo copped to the takeover and said her intention was to “promote and one day achieve parity” with men throughout all of French government.

Last year, France implemented a waiver to the 40% rule, so long as the imbalance in new hires does not contribute to an overall disparity across government, according to Le Monde. In that case, they found Paris’ government is still in compliance with just 47% women in executive positions as a whole.

Moreover, women in government are paid 6% less on average than their male counterparts.

“In Paris, we are doing everything to make it a success and I am very, very proud of a large team of women and men who carry together this fight for equality,” she said.

“So there will be many of us,” she added.

Amélie de Montchalin, France’s minister of public service, sided with Hidalgo on Twitter, calling the measure by her own department “absurd.”

“@Anne_Hidalgo, the cause of women deserves better!” she tweeted. “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 raise them!”