Page 92 - Monaco Economy 117

Dossier Spécial NOUS… LES FEMMES !!! / WE… WOMEN!!!

Barclays and so on,
and is questioning
what a good leader
should look like:
“Most of the time, this
is a 50-something,
heterosexual, white
male.” They are trying
to demonstrate that
there is not only
this model: “We ask
questions about the
working environment
– is it suitable? A
boss who is also a
mother could very
easily take a break
between 5 pm and
7 pm to look after
her children and then
come back to work
© Conseil National afterwards.”

Bringing about major
change early on
Getting rid of archaic terms law. Until recent years, during marriage Vibeke Thomsen believes that in order to
In 2020, the Women’s Rights Committee got ceremonies carried out by the mayor, couples really change people’s mindset, we must act
rid of various archaic terms and texts that would hear a phrase from another age: “The when children are still very young. This is why
were still to be found in Monégasque laws. husband chooses the marital home and the She Can He Can takes part each year in the
“We studied some 12,000 laws and found wife is obliged to live with him; he is obliged International Day of the Girl Child. “In order
some, which are no longer used, were out-of- to receive her.” for women to launch a career in politics or
date and created an obsolete impression of become leaders, they need to be confident
our society. For example, the waiting period Hindering growth in themselves from early childhood onwards.
for a widow before she is allowed to remarry Both socially and morally unacceptable, Studies have shown that at school, boys
was fixed at 310 days; and some professions gender inequality also represents a major are more keen to speak up than girls, to the
were only available to men, such as bailiff hindrance to economic growth. “The inequality extent of monopolising exchanges. Girls are
or solicitor. By modifying our laws, we move of opportunity between men and women costs quieter, as though they know that they will
closer to conformity with international the economy a colossal sum, as it stifles have less time to speak.” “Manterrupting” -
recommendations.” This spring cleaning of productivity, negatively impacting growth,” the subconscious tendency for men to cut
the laws also swept away such outdated believes Christine Lagarde, Managing Director women off when they are talking so that they
expressions as “en bon père de famille” of the International Monetary Fund, who calls can regain power over the conversation – is
(meaning due diligence) and “jeune fille au on decision-makers to remove the obstacles to now recognised as a form of everyday sexism.
pair”, replacing them with gender-neutral women’s working lives, such as tax distortions, She Can He Can suggests, therefore, raising
forms. This may be a symbolic reform but it discrimination and socio-cultural factors, awareness in this area: “We live in a world
is, none the less, indispensable. In Monaco, as promoting a more inclusive world. This means where pink bicycles are sold to girls and it’s
elsewhere, equality between men and women redesigning environments traditionally made blue for boys; at school, mostly male artists
takes time to become mainstream: women’s for men so that they finally include everybody. are studied; and stories more often than
suffrage and eligibility in national elections “There is not just pay inequality, it is also not feature female characters in secondary
dates from 1962; equality in the transmission cultural,” remarks Vibeke Thomsen, stressing or stereotypical roles – it’s the Smurfette
of nationality by maternal descent came about that “inclusion is just one part of the whole.” Principle! I’m not blaming anyone, it’s just a
in 1992; and it was not until 2003 that joint This is why the She Can He Can charity is reflection of our history of art and literature.
parental authority replaced “paternal power” campaigning, organising workshops in big My job is to remove blinkers and help people
vis-à-vis the couple’s children in Monégasque businesses like Marks & Spencer, HarperCollins, see clearly from here on out.”

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