Viaposte putting gender equality into practice

Viaposte promotes workplace gender equality, through its human resources, managers and employees, as a core component of its approach to sustainability. In professions historically dominated by men, such as logistics, transport, and maintenance, the objective is clear: to challenge perceptions, mitigate biases, combat sexism, and ensure every employee, regardless of gender, has equal opportunities for career progression.

In France, significant gender gaps remain. In its latest report published on February 26, 2026, the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) highlights that average private-sector earnings for women remain 21.8% lower than for men, and 14% lower for equivalent hours. The French High Council for Equality’s 2026 report also notes that 81% of the public believe that tackling sexism should be a priority for policy-makers. These findings underscore that workplace equality demands a long-term commitment and practical action.

Discover how Viaposte is taking such action to advance gender equality and close the gender gap.

A commitment across HR, management and workplace culture

For Viaposte, gender equality is about much more than metrics or regulatory obligations. It is about building a work environment where every employee can excel in their job, speak up, make progress, and be fully recognized for their skills.

This commitment is already put into practice across multiple activities. In the transport division, women account for over half the workforce, and 44.23% of managers. In logistics, the share of female managers is also on the rise, from 23.9% at the end of 2024 to 24.7%. Professional equality indexes also reflect this upward trend.

However, Viaposte wants to go further by tackling subtle habits, everyday language and casual behaviors that are all too often normalized, because workplace equality is also won in simple, day-to-day interactions.

CORIF, a partner in making workplace equality a reality

Viaposte is structuring its approach through a partnership with CORIF, the Hauts-de-France Regional Collective for Women’s Information and Training, an association with a 40-year track record in combating sexism and driving workplace equality and gender balance.

This partnership makes it possible to address the subject in a practical, educational manner, adapted to workplace realities. Following an initial awareness campaign involving site managers, and training on sexism for senior management, the goal now is to get all teams involved right across France.

Raising awareness without assigning blame

Over the course of June and July, Viaposte launched a dedicated gender equality campaign on its nationwide summer site tour. The goal was to create an informal, inclusive and valuable moment of open dialogue.

The materials used in this initiative were designed to address real workplace scenarios, such as:

• Being interrupted or spoken over;
• The use of unwanted nicknames or overly familiar language;
• Uncomfortable jokes or normalized remarks;
• Comments on one’s physical appearance;
• Assumptions regarding physical capabilities and work allocation;
• Disparities in professional trust based on gender.

The aim was to highlight that different employees can have very different experiences of the same workplace.

“Even certain apparently well-meant remarks can pigeon-hole men and women in expected roles, chip away at their confidence, and stall their skills development,” affirms Maleka Dilmi, Equality Consultant and Head of Partnerships at CORIF.

This statement sums up a core issue: certain remarks may seem positive on the surface but nonetheless reinforce gender stereotypes.

Viaposte also wanted to provide practical tools to help everyone fully engage with topic, including:

• A mandatory training module on gender equality for managers;
• An internal reporting procedure;
• A featured episode of L’Émission, giving a voice to employees and guest speaker Tatiana Brillant, one of the first female officers of France’s elite RAID special forces unit;
• A flyer featuring a sexism check-list;
• A self-assessment survey.

Clarifying the law, biases, and scenarios of sexism

In order to tackle sexism, it is essential to gain a clear understanding of certain core concepts. In its internal resources, Viaposte identifies several distinct levels of sexism: benevolent sexism, subtle sexism, hostile sexism, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. Clarifying these terms can help ensure that harmful comments or behaviors are not downplayed.

The law also sets clear boundaries. The French Labor Code prohibits sexist acts, defining them as any sex-based conduct that violates a person’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

Viaposte also promotes an internal reporting procedure, with designated representatives tasked with handling reports with a guarantee of confidentiality and non-retaliation.

Furthermore, managers have an especially important role to play. They have a duty to listen, provide guidance, enforce zero-tolerance, and contribute to building a respectful work environment.

Recruitment is also an important lever. In the logistics, transport, and maintenance sectors, in order to improve gender diversity, it is essential to work closely with hiring partners and staffing agencies to raise awareness among hiring managers and open up career pathways. The challenge is not only to attract more women to certain professions, but also to enable them to stay, advance in their careers, and acquire leadership roles.

Coming together for the Heroes’ Race

The collective effort also includes a charitable dimension. For the second year running, Viaposte took an active part in the Course des Héros, or Heroes’ Race, by making a donation to CORIF for every employee who ran.

Nearly a hundred participants turned out for the Paris and Lyon events wearing the Viaposte colors.

This collective action reflects a strong conviction: gender equality thrives when it is a shared, visible goal championed at every level of the company. It also breathes even more life into the partnership with CORIF, extending its impact far beyond internal training sessions and materials.

A commitment that continues throughout the year

Following the summer site tour, Viaposte will continue the momentum going with a fresh wave of initiatives.

This approach aligns more broadly with Viaposte’s CSR commitments, which are already focused on other inclusion topics, such as workplace disability support. Across all of these initiatives, the guiding principle is the same: to shift perspectives, provide practical benchmarks, and build a work environment where everyone can thrive.