As part of the #InsideInclusionEU campaign, the DiGiN project continues to highlight inspiring initiatives from European municipalities that reshape local governance through diversity, equity and inclusion. Nantes stands out as a pioneering example: in 2020, it became the first municipality in Europe to formally declare itself a “Non-Sexist City”, placing equality at the centre of its political vision and institutional practices.
This interview was conducted by Vasia Madesi, Consultant at Yellow Window, with Ms Mahaut Bertu, Deputy Mayor of Nantes responsible for Equality, the Non-Sexist City initiative, anti-discrimination policy and the city’s network of community and civil society organisations, within the framework of DiGiN’s work to document municipal approaches that shift systems, structures and everyday practices. The discussion below presents Nantes’ experience in their own words, offering a detailed and practical perspective for other cities wishing to follow a similar path.
How did the idea of becoming a “non-sexist city” emerge in Nantes and what motivated the municipality to take this initiative?
In 2014-2020, we implemented our first public policy on gender equality. The primary objective was to address the consequences of inequalities between women and men and therefore to propose support measures and corrective measures for women. For example, in 2019, we decided to open a multidisciplinary centre, unique in France, which supports women who are victims of violence and their children, and is entirely funded by the City: Citad’elles. Since it opened, 6,500 women have been welcomed to begin the process of rebuilding their lives. On average, three new women walk through the doors of our centre every day:
In 2020, we were still faced with a global context of persistent gender inequality. Although gender equality had been achieved in law, it was not reflected in everyday life. Some decisions that we might consider neutral actually contribute to maintaining inequalities. We chose to take a more committed and integrated approach to this issue, looking at all the decisions we made through a gender lens to assess our scope for progress.
To offer additional context on the development and impact of Citad’elles, Nantes has shared two supporting documents detailing the centre’s history, services and operational model (here and here).
What does the term mean in practice for Nantes? Which policy areas or everyday practices does it encompass?
A non-sexist city means recognising the widespread and systemic nature of sexism and its deep roots in society. Consequently, this means that our public action is deeply cross-cutting and involves taking action upstream of the production of inequalities, in particular by questioning and changing the City’s own practices (in all its public policies, in its budget, in its standards, in its professional practices, etc.). We also have a duty to set an example in what we do with our employees and have put in place a professional equality action plan. Furthermore, the term ‘sexist’ implies the convergence of feminist and LGBTQIA+ struggles: the origin of discrimination is the same, namely sexism induced by the patriarchal domination at work in society. Finally, a non-sexist city is a collective challenge, because the city alone cannot do anything!
This approach must be rolled out around four strategic areas, 15 priorities and 20 key actions.
- AXIS 1: Supporting a dynamic of emancipation and autonomy
- AXIS 2: Guaranteeing the right to the city for all
- AXIS 3: Reinforcing and highlighting the creative and transformative role of LGBTQIA+ people in Nantes
- AXIS 4: Continuing to engage the community on a path of excellence as an employer and institution
For readers interested in the full strategic framework, the City of Nantes has shared the document “Becoming a Non-Sexist City by 2030”, which provides a detailed overview of the four axes, priority areas and key actions.
How was the initiative organised within the municipal administration? Which departments, roles or working groups were involved?
Municipal services have been redesigned in line with this strengthened political ambition, both in terms of their role and the coordination of public action, as well as in terms of resources. Today, on a technical level, the implementation of public policy is overseen by the ‘non-sexist city’ division of the equality department, which is made up of five people. The goal of integrating gender into all our public policies leads us to work with all departments: culture, sport, public spaces, etc. We have begun to deploy contact persons in each department who act as our gateways and carry out sectoral action plans.
In terms of equality in the workplace, we have set up an internal advisory council on equality, diversity and gender balance (CCIEDM). This is a place for discussion, reflection and proposals on the internal approach to combating all forms of discrimination within the departments. It is made up of around 50 volunteer staff members, members of the administration and staff representatives. It has three main missions:
- Contribute to equal treatment and equal opportunities for all
- Promote and raise awareness of equality and diversity issues within the departments
- Raise awareness of the realities and situations experienced within the departments
Could you share a few specific examples of measures, campaigns or projects that have had a visible impact?
Menstruation
We have adopted an action plan on menstruation with the aim of combating period poverty and the taboo surrounding periods. The lack of sanitary protection due to its cost can be a real obstacle for some women (an obstacle to employment, to the use of public spaces, etc.). However, this issue has long been overlooked in public policy. In practical terms, we have installed 83 free sanitary product dispensers across the region with the aim of ensuring that everyone can find a dispenser within a 15-minute walk of where they are. The sanitary products are high-quality, organic and biodegradable to limit their impact on the environment.
To support this initiative and raise awareness of the fight against the taboo surrounding periods, we organise events every year on 28 May, World Menstrual Hygiene Day. In partnership with local artists, we have created an exhibition on menstruation, which we set up in the largest square in Nantes. This exhibition addresses various topics: period pain, endometriosis, the menopause, menstruation in sport, different choices of sanitary products, and more.
School playgrounds
Based on the idea that the school playground is the primary socialisation space for young child, and recognising the inequalities between girls and boys in terms of access to and use of these playgrounds, we launched a major project to redesign them. The football pitch, which until now has been central and monopolised by boys, was at the heart of the school playgrounds. We have established a set of guidelines setting out the key principles that should guide us in building these school playgrounds and ensuring that equality and diversity are promoted. To support this approach, we have set up awareness-raising sessions for staff in contact with children and consultation sessions with children to raise their awareness as well. We have conducted a 2025 review to measure progress.
Communication campaign
We have also launched a behavioural campaign aimed at the general public to raise awareness of everyday sexism. This campaign is regularly displayed around the city and has been adapted into several formats (tote bags, shop windows, etc.).
The City of Nantes has also shared a selection of its communication materials, which illustrate how these campaigns address everyday sexism and engage the wider public.
How does Nantes ensure that this commitment reaches all citizens including men, young people and diverse communities?
At the beginning of our term, we identified priority groups, including young people, migrant women, women in precarious situations, and women with disabilities. For example, for Citad’Elles, we developed a specific working group on women with disabilities who are victims of violence to facilitate their identification and their access to a path to recovery. For young people, we support a specific centre that organises free awareness-raising sessions for 15-25 year olds on gender-based and sexual violence. We also aim to roll out projects targeting men, to discuss the topic of masculinity.
Finally, for specific projects, we directly seek the opinions of citizens, paying close attention to the composition and diversity of the group. This was particularly the case in the recent consultation process, which brought together 25 women and LGBTQIA+ individuals to discuss and make proposals on the topic of ‘How can we design gender-sensitive public spaces?’
What have been the main challenges in implementing and maintaining this approach? How has the city addressed them?
The difficulty resides mainly in working on long-term issues. When we talk about promoting a culture of non-sexism, we are talking about working on stereotypes and mindsets. This takes time and can lead to a certain impatience, especially given the urgent need for action on issues such as sexist and sexual violence.
Implementing tools to transform our public action is the first step towards enabling significant, structural change. The City of Vienna has been working on gender-responsive budgeting for 20 years, and we began in 2022.
We are also working in a global context of rising populism and masculinism, which use misinformation and fear to promote the rollback of women’s rights. In concrete terms, in Nantes, during the 2020-2026 term of office, not a single year has passed without the City being forced to file a complaint for misogynistic and homophobic acts, such as damage to family planning center or LGBTQIA+ center, damages to public property and public spaces.
How do you assess progress? Are there indicators, audits or participatory mechanisms used to measure change?
The City of Nantes has been awarded the diversity and professional equality labels. These are certification schemes set up by the State and awarded by the French Standardisation Agency (Afnor), an assessment body that monitors compliance with the specifications.
To complement this explanation, Nantes has provided the 2025 Evaluation Report on gender-sensitive public spaces, documenting the participatory assessment, findings and priorities for future action.
What role have local organisations, schools, associations or other actors played in advancing this work?
In Nantes, we recognise that their role is very important : the City alone cannot do everything, even with strong political will, and we need their expertise to adjust our actions. In 2020, the City set up an open governance composed mainly of associations: the non-sexist city network. Open governance is a way of conducting public action ‘with’ local actors through ongoing dialogue on public policies and projects carried out by the city of Nantes. The non-sexist city network now brings together 90 local organisations. This network brings together both organisations with expertise in gender issues and more generalist associations (that want to develop actions on this subject but do not necessarily know how to do so). We have also chosen to bring together feminist associations and LGBTQIA+ associations. This network is also useful for creating a space for resources and sharing between associations, in a global context that tends to be increasingly hostile to them.
What advice would you give to other European municipalities wishing to follow Nantes’ example?
We would advise municipalities to engage in dialogue with other committed cities in order to learn from existing expertise and best practices. During this term of office, we have exchanged ideas with French cities (Strasbourg, Lyon and Paris, for example), as well as European cities (Vienna and Barcelona) and cities around the world (Seattle and Recife).
Working alongside like-minded cities is essential, as we are aware that there is still a long way to go before patriarchy is eradicated!
What are Nantes’ priorities for the future in promoting equality and combating sexism at the local level?
With local elections just a few months away, we are unable to announce what the city’s priorities will be in the coming years.
However, a number of observations have led us to identify areas where action is certainly needed, such as mental health or the rise of masculinism among young people and the precarious situation of single-parent families.
Who should municipalities contact if they wish to learn more about Nantes’ “non-sexist city” initiative?
Sarah CAQUINEAU / “Non-sexist city” Public Policy Officer / Equality Department / City of Nantes
Sarah.caquineau@nantesmetropole.fr / + 33 6 30 04 23 25
For a structured overview of Nantes’ approach, you can explore the dedicated Inspiring Practice developed through the DiGiN project here.
Photo credit: © Johanna Buguet / Unsplash
