Our gender equality commitments

In 2021, MMA signed a three-year agreement concerning gender equality and preventing and combating all forms of discrimination. This follows on from the previous agreement, which enabled the Covéa Group to increase the percentage of women in managerial positions by 3 points in the space of five years, with women accounting for 54.5% of managerial positions as at 31 December 2022⁽¹⁾.

Promotion and recruitment to improve gender balance

With this agreement, MMA uses promotion and recruitment as a way of improving gender balance. This is achieved in four main ways:

1. Prioritising female applicants with the same skills and experience for management positions.
2. Improving HR services for business lines to increase the number of female applicants. In this vein, at least 75 female employees from grade 4 up will be able to take the “Career paths and projects for women” training course, which aims to support them in their career plans and give them the courage to put themselves forward.
3. Communications to develop access for women to positions of responsibility, gender balance in job roles and preventing sexist behaviour.
4. Enhancing gender balance in job roles. For example, a minimum recruitment quota of 25% women in IT jobs was introduced in 2021 to enhance gender balance⁽²⁾.

With these various initiatives, Covéa has set a number of gender balance targets, including⁽²⁾: 

• 57% female managers at the end of the agreement;
• 58% women in grades 5 and 6, 40% in grade 7;
• At least 53% women recruited as managers on permanent contracts.

Training in gender equality in the workplace

Under the previous agreement, 72% of women in grade 4 jobs took at least one training course in 2019 (74% of men)⁽²⁾. MMA is continuing with its training efforts in order to improve gender equality by means of three main initiatives:

1. Paying particular attention to employees returning from an extended absence, such as maternity leave or sick leave of more than three months.
2. Making it easier for part-time employees to access training.
3. Providing training to prevent gender stereotypes and sexist behaviour, including:
   • "Recruiting without discrimination”;
   • “Helping victims of sexist and sexual attacks”;
   • “Inclusive communication”;
   • "Diversity to make a difference”.

As at 31 December 2022, 44.6% of employees had taken the “Stop gender stereotypes” training module offered as part of the “Diversity to make a difference” e-learning course⁽²⁾.

Equal pay as a means of ensuring professional equality

For MMA, professional equality is based on the principle of equal pay for the same job with the same level of skills, results and tenure. It has made a number of commitments to adhere to this principle:

• Using fair ways of reviewing salaries: the Group uses fair ways of reviewing and taking action with regard to salaries paid to men and women at various stages of their career.
• Implementing monitoring systems and measurement indicators: Covéa uses monitoring, review and indicator systems to track the development of salaries paid to men and women.
• Closing pay gaps: the Group has set aside €600,000 over the term of the agreement to correct pay gaps observed(1) in two ways:
  • A procedure for reviewing individual situations: the HR department reviews any corrective measures proposed by the HR manager, employee representative, manager or employee concerned;
  • A collective improvement effort based on statistical analysis.

Better work-life balance

Under the agreement, MMA strives to offer a better work-life balance. The aim is to improve quality of life at work, ensure long-term performance and promote gender balance. The main actions taken to achieve this include:

• Supporting parents: as well as being a signatory of the Working Parent Charter (“Charte de Parentalité en Entreprise”) since 2017, Covéa has organised a number of webinars to offer employees who are parents a more balanced working environment, including:
  • “Growing with your emotions”;
  • “Family relationships in times of crisis”.
• Longer paid parental leave: since 1 July 2021, MMA has offered 25 days of paid leave on top of three days’ leave after the birth of a child(2). The Group also offers pay above the statutory requirement. The employee receives a fixed net salary without tax deducted at source equivalent to the pay they would have received if they had not taken leave.
• Services for all: the Group has been trialling an inclusive range of services since 2022. For example, employees with young children can benefit from childcare places at Babilou nurseries and its partners. The first pre-registration scheme began in March 2022.

Supporting the Fondation des Femmes

MMA supports the Fondation des Femmes through the Covéa Foundation. Within this framework, donations of €1,300,000 have been paid to the Foundation since 2020 to support women’s rights and combat violence against women⁽³⁾.

In 2022, the Group renewed its support by donating to three projects:

• Sororité, which funds non-profit organisations that help vulnerable women access goods and services;
• Audacieuses, which aims to raise awareness about gender inequality, stereotypes and sexism;
• Abri d’urgence, which offers a simple and effective way of providing emergency accommodation for women who have been victims of violence.

Combating sexist and sexual violence

Violence and sexist behaviour primarily affect women. However, gender stereotypes are also damaging to men. The Group aims to give employees who have been victims of violence the freedom to speak up, in order to promote a caring environment, by means of three main initiatives:

• Staff training: HR officers and employee representatives will receive training in sexual and sexist violence over the term of the agreement. The “Knowing how to help victims of sexist and sexual attacks” training course is offered to all employees with a key role in managing and supporting cases of violence such as harassment officers, prevention officers and HR managers. The rollout of a new module for managers began in January 2023.
• Victim support: Covéa strives to investigate cases as quickly as possible and provide psychological and human support.
• Internal communications and awareness campaigns: the Group has a system in place for raising awareness in order to foster a culture of listening, trust and support, giving victims the freedom to speak up. This is reflected in particular by the creation of a “Harassment at work” section on the Group’s intranet.

(1) Non-financial performance statement – MMA IARD SA – 2022
(2) Covéa’s commitment to equal opportunity – Covéa – 2021.
(3) Covéa internal source