The 39-year-old, who assumed office in May this year, said: “I hurried up to run for office because I think that the future belongs to women.

“That’s why I chose not to follow in the footsteps of my predecessors, who all waited until they turned 50 or 60 to join the presidential race.

“My generation will be dominated by women – women will take power.”

In an interview with African TV channel Trace he was asked whether gender was an obstacle that held women back and kept them out of top leadership jobs, Mr Macron said that women had to break free from gender stereotypes.

He said: “Women should never undersell nor doubt themselves.

“It’s a matter of changing people’s mindset. More and more women are standing up for themselves, showing the world that they have the will and the energy to become leaders.”

The real challenge, Mr Macron continued, is the urgent need to safeguard and redefine women’s rights.

The young centrist last month pledged to rethink sexual politics and gender equality, which he said would be a top priority during his five-year term.

“Let’s seal a pact of equality between men and women,” he said in a speech delivered to mark the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Measures designed to fight sexual harassment and assault include educating secondary school children about pornography and making it easier for rape and assault victims to file a police complaint.

Planned changes to the police system include giving victims of rape and sexual assault the option to file a ‘pre-complaint’ online, and on demand bus stops, where women can stop a bus anywhere at night so that they can get home safely.

Osez le Féminisme (Dare Feminism), a French feminist group, said that the planned measures were going in the right direction, but needed to be backed by adequate funding.

“Without funding, communication, training, awareness or a help plan for victims, the measures will be useless,” the statement said.