Katherine Gottsegen
9/30/2011
French Feminists say ‘Non’ to ‘Mademoiselle’
Women in France are starting to confront the sexist culture they have imbedded into their lives for a long time. The article addresses the issue that there is no French equivalent to the ‘Ms.’ Marie-Noelle Bas, the president of a feminist group called Watchdog, has been trying to change this. Many women are agreeing that leaving this term out will cut down on discrimination or harassment, especially in the work place. Bas states it seems normal to the French women that men are more important than themselves. A good example of this would be referring to a younger girl as ‘mademoiselle’, and then when they are married, becoming ‘madame’ – while men, are referred to as ‘monsieur’ regardless of whether they are married or not. Bas even breaks down the word ‘mademoiselle’, stating that oiselle (oiseau) means virgin, or someone who needs to be married.
I think this is a wonderful example of a social problem happening in France. There are a lot of women making this a social movement and care a lot about how they are labeled. It seems to me it is almost a demeaning term, looking down on the women who don’t have a partner to “protect” them. I’ve become more aware of the women who are no longer quick to settle down and have children these days. They are beginning to realize they can do whatever they want, and don’t have to depend on a partner for their happiness. The video we watched in class about Japan focuses on almost the same kind of social dynamic: women are independent, and don’t have to have children to make themselves significant. I’ve never really felt like I needed someone to protect me, or support me. I am fully aware of my capabilities as a woman, and they are no different from those of a man. Gender equality is a huge social problem and the labels associated with each gender have a huge effect on how a person is perceived.
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/29/140931817/french-feminists-say-non-to-mademoiselle
1 comment:
Wow, it's interesting to learn what 'mademoiselle' actually means. I agree that this term should be cut out. Some women don't want people to know their marital status. I think there should be an equivalent to 'Ms.' so women can have a choice on what they want to be called.
Post a Comment