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WOMEN'S ROLES IN FRANCE.
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Impact of feminist movement on education, abortion, gender relations, work, family, compared to Amer. women.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Impact of feminist movement on education, abortion, gender relations, work, family, compared to Amer. women.
Paper Introduction:
The battle for equality in the women's rights movement in France continues.
I. The new women's rights movement during the 1960s and 1970s resulted in the birth of the MLF (Mouvement de la Liberation de la Femme)
A. The MLF succeeded in enacting legislative changes
B. Little progress was made in increasing the number of female elected officials
II. French women have made progress in marital equality
A. Legal challenges to presumed paternal authority have been successful
B. Men continue to shirk housework responsibilities
III. The French legal system generally turns a deaf ear to women's causes
Text of the Paper:
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The wage gap between male and female workers is narrowing D. Although legislative changes are important, true equality for French women must be initiated in the school and in the workplace Although positive changes have occurred in the status and role ofwomen in French society, their battle for equality is far from won. The MLF succeeded in enacting legislative changes B. For instance, liberalization of abortion enhanced the freedom ofFrench women. . Stereotypes continue to abound in French education A. Although women increased their presence inmedicine and law, most have not made in-roads into the traditionally maleskilled blue-collar trades. The new women's rights movement during the 196 s and 197 s resulted in the birth of the MLF (Mouvement de la Liberation de la Femme) A. Thus church doctrine has a minimal effect on publicattitudes, particularly in terms of women's rights: "It is an irony thatreligion is far less important to women's rights issues in France, aCatholic country, than in pluralistic America" (Stetson 2 4). Girls less prepared for prestigious occupations C. The MLF succeeded in changing prevailing attitudes about women and ingetting important legislation passed that enhanced the status of females,albeit the group's reluctance to get involved in mainstream politics hascontributed to the dearth of women in positions of governmental power. As Stetson pointsout, "The fact is that both the study of women and the use of femalecreative talent are underdeveloped in France" (122). Feminism in France. The health status of American women has deteriorated in key areasXI. French women seek medical services more than menVII. Works CitedBurk, Martha. In reality, women enjoy a much more limited domain inFrance than women in the United States. French marriage reforms during the 196 s and 197 s struckdown the legal basis for paternal authority over the children and thechoice of domicile for the family. The actual percentage ofwomen candidates at the national level (12 percent) is misleading in termsof representing the increasing power of women in American politics. Influenced by the American women'smovement, Marxist-Leninism, and anti-Gaulism, the MLF (Mouvement de laLiberation de la Femme) was established in 197 : "The MLF has concentratedits struggle on certain main areas--abortion, contraception, pornography,violence and crimes against women, equal work and pay, childbirth, andrights and legislation pertaining to these" (Laubier 73). "A Feminist Celebration and Call to Action." MS. (1996,May/June), pp. Women's rights is an issue of political power.According to one French feminist,"French law, as designed to serve the interests of a Western liberaldemocracy, is inadequate to address either the physical, social, andpolitical reality of women's bodies . Infact, there were fewer female members of France's Senat and AssembleeNationale in 1983 than there were in 1946. The issueis still considered central to feminist analysis, however, as French womencome to terms with their vision of liberated motherhood and women's rightsto control their bodies and their destinies (Duchen 64-66). Feminists contend that education in France continues to perpetuatethe myth of female subordination and marginality of women. . Boys and girlsare still put on separate education tracks, with girls being steered intotraditional roles. Norton, 1994.Winter, Bronwyn. In France, women are stillexpected to make their main contribution in the home. The official French view is that women share in the creation ofFrench culture, as evidenced by the glorification of the feminine in artand advertisement. In terms of health care, French women, like their Americancounterparts, have longer life expectancies than men. Legal challenges to presumed paternal authority have been successful B. Although underrepresented in politics, female candidates have equal chance of success as males B. In terms of employment, although the labor force participation ofwomen has risen in the past 3 years, female workers still tend to be moreheavily concentrated than men in a few industries and occupations. Little progress was made in increasing the number of female elected officialsII. Equality begins in the school and in the workplace. The French legal system generally turns a deaf ear to women's causesIV. Recent changes in French law have granted women greater independencein terms of marital relations. New York: The Free Press, 1995.----------------------- 2 7 Stereotypesmust be continually rejected on all fronts and women must be empowered toachieve their academic and employment potentials. Despite laws that empower them in marital relations, the potentialfor abuse of French women exists because the courts regularly turn a deafear to feminist causes. Motherhood remains a thorny issue for French feministsIX.French women are likely than men to work in nurturing professionsX. rid publiceducation of all sex segregation. Massive overhaul of the educational bureaucracy is warrantedV. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul,1986.Laubier, Claire. It is a monumental goal" (Stetson 126). Inareas such as education, politics, and employment, French women lag farbehind their male counterparts. 939-974.Witt, Linda, Paget, Karen, and Matthews, Glenna. As one feminist concludes, "Most politicians still think womenshould be seen and not heard" (Burk 13). Although education policy has been the subjectof constant study and reform in France, feminists contend that much remainsto be done: "The feminists' greatest hope of success is to prod theeducation bureaucracy toward a massive overhaul that will . The weakening of marriage and familystructures, a worldwide phenomenon, has also worked in favor of women'sautonomy. New York:Routledge, 199 .Stetson, Dorothy. Because of their longer life expectancies, French women aretwice as likely as French men to spend their old age alone (Laubier 15 ). Religion does not play an important role in the political and social opinions of French womenVIII. Although American women had longer life expectancies than their malecounterparts, this does not imply that women enjoy more health than men.In the United States, the politics of women's health is such that a dearthof research data on women exists. American feminists fear that the progress thathas been made in terms of employment will erode with recent challenges toaffirmative action, like the California Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI). For example, a 1988 study of aspirin'seffects on the incidence of heart attacks used physicians as subjects, butexcluded the ten percent of American physicians who were, at the time,women (American Woman 92). Running as a Woman:Gender and Power in American Politics. . Women are still concentrated in service and trade occupationsXI. " (Winter 972). Boys and girls put on separate education tracks B. French women have made progress in marital equality A. For example, in vocational educational centers, jobsare still viewed as either "male" or "female," and the provision ofoccupational choices for males far exceeds those available for females(Stetson 116-117). Regarding religion, about 8 percent of the French population belongsto the Catholic church; however, only a minority participates regularly inchurch activities. And the earnings gap between male and femalewage-earners has narrowed, but women still earn only 75 percent of what menearn (American Woman 3 8). Despitethe elevation of the status of females, most French women are expected totake responsibility for housework and mundane chores related to themaintenance of home life, such as grocery shopping (Laubier 149). 12-15.Duchen, Claire. Still, French women are pigeonholed into employment fields thatemphasize their nurturing character. Arecent study indicates that the success rates of female candidates areequal to men in challenging incumbents (Witt, Paget, and Matthews 29 ).Since the majority of political incumbents are men, however, the masculinestatus quo exhibited in American politics will likely continue for sometime. . Thus,although young women receive college degrees at a comparable rate as youngmen, the indoctrination of sex roles results in the women being preparedfor less prestigious jobs. Like their American counterparts, French women have realized that thepassage of favorable legislation is only the first step in securing equalstatus. Over 9 percent of those employed infields like childcare, nursing, and secretarial work are women, while over9 percent of those in the blue-collar trades are men (Laubier 113).Granted, French women have made some strides in their inclusion in theliberal professions, but they hold relatively few higher academic andmanagerial positions. The Condition of Women in France. American females have made strides in the legal and medical professions C. The statusand role of women in France is influenced more by prevailing popularopinion than by religious beliefs. Women's Rights in France. Partly as a consequence of this mindset, theproportion of female deaths from cancer, diabetics, and AIDS is growing ata faster rate than that of men (American Woman 1 9-11 ). In attempting to extricate women from their characterization ashomemakers, early French feminists rejected the concept of motherhood.Later feminists have reconsidered the notion of motherhood as slavery.Feminists now acknowledge that women can operate on different terrains andthat the issue of motherhood defies simple political solutions. American women have made more strides in employment and politics than their French counterparts A. Exacerbating the problem isFrance's two-tier parliamentary electoral system that has been found to beprejudicial to women (Laubier 117). In contrast to French women, American women have made significantstrides in the political and employment fields. New York: GreenwoodPress, 1987.The American Woman: 1994-1995. Previously, it was assumed that thehusband was the principal breadwinner of the household and that, with thisstatus, he was endowed with presumptive authority over his family. However, Frenchwomen are more likely to seek out health care services than men (Laubier149-15 ). Men continue to shirk housework responsibilitiesIII. Cynthia Costello and Anne Stone (Eds).New York: W.W. The battle for equality in the women's rights movement in France continues.I. In addition, the scholarly neglect of the contributionof women is evident in state-prescribed curricula and textbooks. Feminism has a long history in France, but the "new" women's movementemerged in 1968, when women became dissatisfied with their marginalizedrole in the revolutionary movement. "Women, the Law, and Cultural Relativism in France: TheCase of Excision." Signs (1994, Summer), pp. As in the United States, true progress inthe French women's movement has been steady, but slow. Twoindustries (services and trades) employed almost 7 percent of all women in1992 (American Woman 282). French women make their main creative contribution in the homeVI.
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