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A bell rings inside the Palais d'Iéna, a stone's throw from the Trocadéro in Paris. The members of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) hurry up the monumental double staircase, the gilded elevators and the long red-carpeted corridors to reach the hemicycle. At 2:30 pm sharp on November 26, the 175 councillors who make up this assembly are invited to deliberate on an opinion dedicated to violence against women in overseas France. The opinion's co-rapporteur, Inès Bouchaut-Choisy, adjusts her microphone to answer a journalist ahead of her speech. In her hands, she holds her printed speech, with the important passages highlighted. "I'm a little stressed, but it's going to go well," she says with a serene air. The entrepreneur takes the podium accompanied by Viviane Monnier, with whom she worked on the resolution. The two women take the floor in front of a hundred or so EESC members sitting in the hemicycle that day. The most shameful violation of human rights is undoubtedly violence against women," begins Inès Bouchaut-Choisy. It knows no geographical, cultural or social divide. "
An opinion voted unanimously
Inès Bouchaut-Choisy has made the fight against violence against women, particularly in the French overseas territories, her top priority. This opinion, voted unanimously by the members of the CESE, highlighted the additional obstacles faced by victims in the overseas territories, even though there are more of them than in France. Among the various areas for improvement proposed in this opinion, the rapporteurs notably called for the appointment of an inter-ministerial coordinator to combat violence against women in the French overseas territories, a position left vacant following the end of Justine Bénin's mission. It's essential that someone be appointed quickly, with dedicated resources," insisted Inès Bouchaut-Choisy. This mission is essential to guarantee good articulation between the national and local levels."
The Third Assembly of the Republic
When we meet up with her again a few weeks later, in the noisy but chic canteen of the Palais d'Iéna, Inès Bouchaut-Choisy slips in that a new coordinator has been appointed to the post. Just goes to show that the EESC can get things moving. Yet this institution is little known to the general public. "The EESC is the Republic's third assembly, after the National Assembly and the Senate," explains the woman who has been reappointed for a second term. The purpose of the EESC is to advise members of parliament and the government on the development of legislation and public policy. The government can refer matters to the advisors if it wishes to have their expertise on a particular subject, but the EESC can also refer matters to itself to question the government on a particular theme, as was the case with violence against women in overseas France. "We're the chamber for the long haul, delivering opinions in three to six months," stresses Inès Bouchaut-Choisy.
The first female president of the Overseas group
Appointed in 2015 to represent Saint-Barth, then in 2021 as councillor for the Atlantic basin, Inès Bouchaut-Choisy is very familiar with the workings of this assembly, which she particularly appreciates. Being at the EESC means having a wide network of acquaintances in the world of politics, but also in the world of associations and trade unions," she points out. There's a lot of exchange, and you learn a lot from others. "As a member of the Overseas delegation, Inès Bouchaut-Choisy has been able to hone her knowledge of these territories: "I'm very proud to be in this position, and to be able to bring my vision to bear on subjects that I'm passionate about and that I've mastered."All the more so as she was president of the Overseas group during her first term of office. "I was the first woman to chair this group," she says, still moved. A heavy responsibility in a traditionally masculine world. "These were difficult challenges to meet, where we had to constantly challenge ourselves to move forward and manage a group of men of a certain stature", adds the company director.adds the entrepreneur, listing the presence of the CEO of Air Tahiti Nui, a lawyer from Reunion Island and a former member of parliament from Guyana. I had to say to these men, 'No, we won't do it like that, we'll do it this way instead'," she laughs. It was a daily exercise to build up my self-confidence, because we women aren't taught to be self-confident. "During Inès Bouchaut-Choisy's term of office, a reform of the EESC changed its composition, reducing the number of members from 233 to 175. At the time, the President fought to ensure that the councillors of the Outre-mer group could retain their place in this assembly. It is now enshrined in the organic law that the EESC must be made up of "forty-five representatives for social and territorial cohesion and associative life, including eight representatives from overseas France". When I think of the future, I say to myself that there will be no more debate on the representativeness of overseas France in the 3rd assembly of the Republic," says the councillor. And that's my signature."
Putting her knowledge to good use
Over the past ten years, Inès Bouchaut-Choisy has necessarily been less present on the island. "I'm an advocate of sustainable tourism, so coming every two weeks wasn't compatible," says the former director of the CTTSB. However, her attachment to her native island is deeply rooted, which is why she is considering a return after the end of her mandate in 2026. "Everything I've learned, all the professional experience I have, I want to put to good use for my island," declares the sixty-something. Particularly in the field of tourism, where she would like to "build a tourism development strategy, in line with sustainable tourism". The former parliamentary candidate dismisses new political ambitions out of hand. Mireille Choisy's granddaughter sees herself more in passing on her experience: "I want to show the island's young women that the doors are not closed. You have to break through the glass ceiling and tell yourself that nothing is impossible. Her career path is proof of this. "Who could have imagined a little Saint-Barth in this position? Not me, anyway," she exclaims, her eyes shining. Whether they're in Saint-Barth, French Guiana or France, little girls now look to Inès Bouchaut-Choisy as the model of a woman who has carved out her own path.
