A little more present on television and radio in 2022, women continued to have much less speaking time, according to a report by the Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority (Arcom, ex-CSA ) in a report released Monday, March 6.

The proportion of women present on television and radio channels, all categories combined, in 2022 increased by one point compared to the previous year to 44% (46% on television, 42% on radio). On the other hand, their speaking time has stagnated at 36%, according to the Arcom report, produced with the participation of the National Audiovisual Institute (INA). On these two points, the public audiovisual sector does better than the private sector: the presence of women was greater (47% against 45%) and their speaking time was much higher (42% against 32%).

Overall, the share of presenters has increased (50%, 2 points), as has that of experts (45%, 2 points) – and 15 points since 2016, an “element of collective pride”, for Laurence Pécaut-Rivolier , member of Arcom -, political guests (32%, 2 points) and other speakers (41%, 2 points). On the other hand, the proportion of women journalists or columnists fell by one point in one year to 42%.

“It is simply unacceptable that women who represent more than 52% of the French population are not represented in an equal way”, launched Roch-Olivier Maistre, at the head of the regulator, during a press conference, in presence of the Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul-Malak.

Politics and Sport: Men’s Voices

Unlike the other categories, political guests are the only ones not to have taken off on the air (32% in 2022, as in 2016). Thus, in 2022, the year of presidential and legislative elections, women’s political speaking time did not increase, it was even “significantly lower than that of men” amounting to 29% on average over the year. , notes the regulator.

The two weeks preceding the first round of the presidential election, women accounted for only 20% of the speaking time of supporters of the candidates at the Elysée then 18% during the interval between the two rounds. “Despite the appointment of Elisabeth Borne as Prime Minister and the strict parity implemented in the new government, the speaking time of women in government, from May 16 to December 31, 2022, was on average 36 .7%,” notes Arcom.

Sports programs remain the most closed to women: 21% of presence on set on average (only 9% of presenters/journalists/sports columnists on the radio) and 11% of speaking time. “There is real work to be done,” insisted Laurence Pécaut-Rivolier, as the Paris Olympics approach.

In six years, advertising has made progress: women have become the majority in 2022, all roles combined, at 51% against 46% in 2017, thus approaching social reality. In addition, they held aesthetic or inactive roles in 18% of advertisements broadcast in 2022 compared to 50% in 2017. They now represent around a third of “experts” (34% compared to 18% six years earlier).

Advertising also has fun twisting clichés by representing more women than men in scientific activities or driving vehicles. Conversely, men are in the majority when it comes to showing people doing the housework or caring for children alone.