How gender roles impact the economy of public services: a study of gender-induced avoidable costs in France, with considerations from the European Union

Feldmann Léa Clémence (2025) How gender roles impact the economy of public services: a study of gender-induced avoidable costs in France, with considerations from the European Union. Nemzetközi Gazdálkodás Kar (2025-)-.

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Absztrakt (kivonat)

The thesis laid down the problematic of gender-induced avoidable costs resulting from gender roles, focusing on its quantified impact in France but yet trying to position the country among its European Union’s neighbors. In order to do so, the two public services the most impacted by those gendered behaviors were studied: the justice system and the health system. Indeed, the French justice system, partly funded by the population taxes, has an annual budget over 10 billion €. The gender distribution of the incarcerated population in France in 2023 was the most unbalanced of the EU, with up to 96.7% of men among a total of 80,792 inmates. Out of the five offenses’ families, the highest ratio of women implicated was in fraud and breach of trust, which is the offense category with the smallest impact on the health system. The daily cost per inmate is evaluated around 130€ in France, aligned with the EU average. Considering unvoluntary homicides as the only non-avoidable reason for incarceration, men should only cost yearly 5.6 million € and women 1.1 million €. However, 3,679 million € were spent in 2024 for prosecuted men, and 808 million € for women, outnumbered. In results, men going through the justice system cost 4.6 times more than women. Regarding the French health system, it is widely covered by the social security, itself financed by deductions-at-source and contributions. Excluding women admitted for pregnancies-related issues, the gender distribution of hospitalization remains balanced until 55 years old. After that age, men are progressively more admitted than women, representing up to 57% of admissions. Avoidable reasons leading to admissions were studied, starting with the excessive alcohol consumptions. 12% of French women declare monthly episodic drinking against 30% of men, nearly 2.5 times more, slightly higher yet aligned again with the EU average of respectively 11% and 26%. Daily tobacco use did not make an exception, with 21% of male daily smokers and 15% of females, close to EU 22% and 15%. Illegal drug use followed the same pattern, with men being for example 2.3 more to consume cannabis daily, and 4.6 times more subject to overdoses in 2022. All in all, 3⁄4 of patients admitted to drug treatments centers in France were men, while tobacco and alcohol figured asthe top 2 avoidable risk factors responsible for cancer. Bullying and physical violence at school having consequences on mental health were also determined as predominantly masculine. In total, men’s avoidable cost to the public finances related to the health system was 5.019 billion € and women’s 2.046 billion €, implying a M/F gender ratio of 2.45. The third chapter opened the discussion to the public contributions, the reasons behind such differentiated behaviors, the potential optimization of the resources, and an overview of societies with different gender approaches. To start off, France’s unadjusted gender pay gap was of 12.2% in 2023, very close to the EU average of 12%. Bearing in mind a French adjusted pay gap of 3.8%, men paid 1.24 times more taxes than women, with contributions reaching 369.9 billion € against 298.6 billion € for women. Globally, France stands as a reflection of the EU average regarding gender-related questions. From a social research study standpoint, two opposed theories explain such gender dichotomy: the sexual-selection theory, justifying male aggressiveness and high-risk behaviors through their instinct heritage, and the social-role theory which brings the concept of socialization shaping gender-specific identities through expectations, a more contemporary approach. While genes and chromosomes bring their lot of characteristics, brains are equally different between the 2 genders, yet malleable. Finally, matriarchal societies appear to be social systems where gender roles are reversed, and which can’t be found in the European Union, but rather in China, India, Ghana or Kenya. Very few economic data can be lifted from such societies due to their isolation and limited development as of today, and their replication in France or in any member country of the EU is highly improbable. Finally, an online survey was made in the form of a questionnaire in order to assess the awareness of the general public regarding the gender-related costs weighting on the public services, gathering answers from 133 respondents non-exclusively French. It appeared that concepts such as gender norms, gender roles and (toxic) masculinity were familiar to respectively 74.3%, 60%, and 77.1% of the respondents. They underestimated men’s incarceration proportion, while correctly assessed daily prison cost. Alcohol and tobacco consumption were rightfully attributed as more masculine behaviors. The majority of therespondents also indicated a will to see the gendered pressures lessened in society, as well as trying to recognized gendered patterns in their own actions and minimize them. Finally, the health system was favored as the system who should receive any successful savings realized by the public services from avoidable costs, followed by the education system and the social services. Globally, the public was aware of gender-related problematics and its impact on the economy of public services, although the feasibility of reducing such costs met different perspectives and the real gender gap and thus economic gender burden was underestimated.

Intézmény

Budapesti Gazdasági Egyetem

Kar

Nemzetközi Gazdálkodás Kar (2025-)-

Tudományterület/tudományág

NEM RÉSZLETEZETT

Szak

Nemzetközi gazdaság és gazdálkodás (angol)

Mű típusa:	diplomadolgozat (NEM RÉSZLETEZETT)
Kulcsszavak:	costs, economy, European Union, France, gender, public services
SWORD Depositor:	User Archive
Felhasználói azonosító szám (ID):	User Archive
Rekord készítés dátuma:	2026. Júl. 09. 11:44
Utolsó módosítás:	2026. Júl. 09. 11:44

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