In two decades, gender balance has emerged as one of
the most significant and controversial transformations in corporate governance
in Europe. This summary of two working papers produced between 2023 and 2025
presents an integrated overview of the evolution of gender equality legislation
in Europe, particularly in France, and its impact on corporate governance
structures in large groups (CAC40). It also considers the reproduction of appointment
patterns and the repetition of certain profiles. The second working paper
attempts to analyze the relationship between the feminization of
decision-making and governance bodies and the ESG (environmental, social, and
governance) orientation of these large groups. Using a combination of
quantitative data and qualitative analyses from multiple institutional sources,
the article examines whether gender diversity constitutes a genuine driver of
sustainable governance or whether, in practice, it remains primarily symbolic.
