France, like much of the Western world, has been experiencing a fresh wave of feminism and focus on women’s rights thanks to the #metoo and #balancetonporc movements, and the efforts of French Gender Equality Minister Marlène Schiappa.
But in the light of all this, it’s probably a good time to take a look at just how far France has moved forward when it comes to women’s rights. And to be honest, the country doesn’t really have a great track record. French women didn’t get the right to vote until 1944, 24 years after American women slipped their first ballots in the box. And despite France being widely regarded as a country that accepts open sexuality, it still lagged behind the US and many other Western countries when it came to the legalization of birth control and abortion.
Thankfully, it is no longer 1910, and women in France can do just about everything that men can (at least, where the law is concerned). But it’s only by keeping track of the progress that’s been made that we can continue to push forward for true gender equality.
