France boosts women politicians

Ms Royal has pushed for a greater role for women in politics

The French cabinet has approved a proposal to encourage parties to promote more women into politics.

Ministers are hoping to get the bill passed into law before next year's presidential and general polls, though it will not take effect till 2008.

It aims to ensure women are represented in local and regional governments.

It comes as Segolene Royal, the Socialists' candidate, is bidding to win next year's election and become France's first female president.

Ms Royal is herself head of the Poitou-Charente regional council in the south-west of the country.

The government believes the various provisions in the law will bring up to 4,000 more women into politics.

"This law is going to enable our democracy to grow," President Jacques Chirac told ministers on Tuesday.

"This law is going to push forward women's rights."

Poor record

Under the terms of the new bill, regions and towns with more than 3,500 people will have to ensure equality among women and men appointed to top positions, such as deputy mayors.

The executives of regional governments and large communal assemblies will also have to have equal numbers of men and women.

In addition, the bill will increase financial penalties for parties that fail to reach parity between male and female candidates at national elections.

So far, the country's large parties have opted to pay penalties rather than field the same number of candidates in national elections.

"We have to use all tools that will allow women to accede to [positions] of responsibility," said Catherine Vautrin, minister for gender equality, after the cabinet meeting.

France introduced a law in 2000 aimed at creating parity between the sexes in parliament.

The law says all parties must either ensure that 50% of their candidates in any poll are women, or face financial penalties.

Only 12.2% of French MPs are women, which puts France in 84th place in a global table of 135 countries, according to data compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.