Editing Affirmative action (section)

==== France ====
No distinctions based on race, religion or sex are allowed under the 1958 [[French Constitution]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Jonathan D. Mott, PhD |url=http://thisnation.com/library/france.html |title=The French Constitution of 1958 and its Amendments |publisher=Thisnation.com |date=7 February 1992 |access-date=28 April 2014}}</ref> Since the 1980s, a French version of affirmative action based on neighborhood is in place for primary and secondary education. Some schools, in neighborhoods labeled "Priority Education Zones", are granted more funds than the others. Students from these schools also benefit from special policies in certain institutions (such as [[Sciences Po]]).<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.3989/chdj.2015.016|title = Esencia colonial de una política contemporánea: Por un enfoque fanoniano de la discriminación positiva en Francia| journal=Culture & History Digital Journal| volume=4| issue=2| pages=e016|year = 2015|last1 = Ghorbal|first1 = Karim| doi-access=free}}</ref>

The French Ministry of Defence tried in 1990 to make it easier for young French soldiers of North-African descent to be promoted in rank and obtain driving licenses. After a strong protest by a young French lieutenant in the Ministry of Defence newspaper (''Armées d'aujourd'hui''), the driving license and rank plan was cancelled.<ref>Jean-Pierre Steinhofer, "Beur ou ordinaire", ''Armée d'ajourd'hui'', 1991.</ref> After the Sarkozy election, a new attempt in favour of Arab-French students was made, but Sarkozy did not gain enough political support to change the French constitution.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2008/12/17/le-plan-sarkozy-pour-favoriser-l-egalite-reelle-des-chances_1132074_823448.html#ens_id=1128487° |title=Le Plan Sarkozy |work=Le Monde  |date=17 December 2008 |access-date=11 April 2012|last1=Eeckhout |first1=Laetitia Van }}</ref>

After 27 January 2014, following the Norwegian example, women had to represent at least 20% of board members in all stock-exchange-listed or state-owned companies. After 27 January 2017, the proportion increased to 40%. All appointments of men as directors were deemed invalid as long as the quotas were not met, and monetary penalties may apply for other directors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vie-publique.fr/actualite/panorama/texte-discussion/proposition-loi-relative-representation-equilibree-femmes-hommes-au-sein-conseils-administration-surveillance-egalite-professionnelle.html |title=Vie Publique |publisher=Vie-publique.fr |date=25 June 2002 |access-date=11 April 2012}}</ref>