As part of our commitment to a more inclusive and responsible society, we are taking action and affirming our position in favor of gender equality and the fight against all forms of violence and discrimination.

Feminization of governance

To further the School' development, emlyon has acquired new skills and increased the number of women on its management team. In 2023, the proportion of women in the governance bodies was 60% on the Executive Board (3 women out of 5 members), and 42% on the Management Committee (10 women out of 24 members).

Gender equality policy

  • With 64% of female employees across all campuses, and 66% in France, the promotion of gender equality is one of the key focal areas of our social policy. In addition to the emlyon Charter for gender equality in the workplace signed in 2014 by Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, a Gender Equality and Inclusion Policy Agreement was signed in December 2018, endorsing actions taken at group level to proactively encourage women to apply for promotions and opportunities for mobility within our organization.
  • speakup.emlyon.com: In 2020, the CSR Department, in conjunction with HR, legal and student teams, set up a system to combat discrimination and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), consisting of a whistleblowing protocol, an online reporting platform for both students and School employees, the appointment of referents (Wellness Center, HR and Legal), awareness-raising and training sessions for employees, teaching staff and association representatives (over 50 employees and 150 students trained in January 2021).

These actions are supported by student activities and initiatives, such as:

  • The Olympe collective - a student collective promoting gender equality and anti-sexism started by 15 students in 2017 and supported by the School's Management. Today, over 50 students and 12 teaching staff are actively involved in initiatives such as evening debates, lectures and Women's Week, an annual event that rallies
  • “em'brace”, an association that defends LGBT+ rights and raises awareness of LGBT+ issues among students, as well as providing a support platform.
  • #balancetonstage, an initiative against sexism in the workplace launched by three School students. Having both witnessed and been victims of sexism during their internships, they carried out a survey and gathered numerous testimonials to create "Le petit manuel du sexisme" designed to provide tools and keys to help our students understand sexism.

Support and training

In response to the difficulties faced by women in the workplace in terms of discrimination and unfair treatment, emlyon has set up training programs aimed at changing practices:

  • Empowerment workshops are offered to students to prepare them to deal with situations in the workplace, such as salary negotiations and self-censorship when seeking promotion within an organization.
  • The Certificate "Objectif Conseil d'Administratrion" aims to ensure that women take their rightful place in companies. The program was created in 2014 by emlyon in partnership with HerValue, a recruitment agency specializing in the placement of female members of Boards of Directors, in the context of the "Coppé Zimmermann Law" designed to promote diversity and impose a quota of women on Boards of Directors. Since its inception, 200 participants have been trained, of which 40% have been, or are currently, board members.

emlyon has signed the L'Autre Cercle's Charter for LGBTQ+ in Higher Education, and is committed to implementing prevention actions, raising awareness and fighting against LGBT phobia

The School strives to provide a safe and supportive environment for all learners and staff, whatever their gender-based identity or sexual orientation. As a signatory to the charter of the l'Autre Cercle, drawn up in partnership with the Caélif and the FAGE, with the support of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Student Observatory on sexist and sexual violence in higher education, the School has affirmed its commitment to combating LGBT+ hatred and discrimination.
The signing of this charter is a commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive work and study environment for all LGBT+ employees, teaching staff and students. Focusing on four lines of action, the School is committed to:

  • Creating an inclusive work and study environment for the LGBT+ community
  • Ensuring equal rights and treatment regardless of sexual orientation and gender-based identity
  • Supporting victims of discriminatory acts or hateful expressions, and preventing or punishing any discriminatory speech or behavior
  • Measuring progress and sharing best practices in order to improve the professional and educational environment
ISABELLE HUAULT, EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT AND DEAN OF EMLYON BUSINESS SCHOOL

The promotion of inclusion and diversity is at the core of our mission: we train future employees and corporate leaders who will change organizations and build a more inclusive and egalitarian society.

Awareness-raising and training are fundamental levers for combating discrimination, promoting diversity and improving student life and working conditions for LGBT+ people.
The School undertakes to implement a zero tolerance policy towards all types of discrimination, as well as training its staff in LGBT+ inclusion, setting up gender-neutral spaces on its campuses, and raising awareness among its students and student associations. Should any form of discrimination, harassment or gender-based or sexual violence occur, the SpeakUp scheme provides protection for every emlyon student and staff member