Women are gaining an increasingly prominent position in French business life - with particularly strong representation in retail and service industries. Once again, the prerequisite for success as a woman is to have achieved a suitable level of education.

Some evidence points to less progress having been made in the more engineering-based industries and that they are less accepted in senior positions outside Paris.

Ex-patriate women working in France should feel little gender bias towards them and will be judged on their intellect, verbal skills and technical ability.