With the election of Valérie Pécresse, the speaker of the Greater Paris Parliament, as the Republican presidential candidate, there are three candidates from important parties who are women, which is the first time this has happened in France. So, will this be a sign of the changing political era?
From left to right, the mayor of Paris, Hidalgo, the speaker of the Paris Parliament, Pécrés, and the representative of the far-right party Republican Union, Marina Le Pen. (Image from The European Times, all screenshots of the parties' Instagram)
French media "20 Minutes" (20Minutes) reported that after the writer Eric Zemmour, who is believed to hold a far-right position, announced as a candidate, Pekrés also won the primary within the right-wing Republican Party and will represent the party in next year's general election, and the French election will really begin. Looking at the female candidates for the 2022 election, in addition to The Republican representative Pecres, there is also the Socialist Party representative Anne Hidalgo, the current mayor of Paris, and the far-right Republican Union representative Marina Le Pen, who has advanced to the second round of voting in the 2017 general election. Since then, three female politicians have become candidates for three important parties, the first time in French politics.
Women politicians can finally make their mark on the political scene
Mariette Sineau, a French political scientist and co-author of Femmes et République (Femmes et République), said: "Finally, women can enter the political arena with great brightness." In 1944, women were granted the right to vote and to be elected. But in practice, women have been excluded from political life until recently. She described, "In the history of presidential elections in the Fifth Republic, the first two elections were held between men. The first to catch attention was Arlette Laguiller of the Workers' Struggle Party in 1974. After her, there were many female candidates, but all from marginal parties, so there was no hope of winning the competition. The second phase was the election of Ségolène Royal as a candidate for the Socialist Party in 2006. Now, it is a new stage. ”
"The fact that there are three female candidates at the same time shows that the situation is normalizing," added political scientist Armelle Le Bras-Chopard, adding that women's election as candidates for the supreme election is becoming a custom. Not because she's female, but because her abilities are recognized. When Edith Cresson was appointed Prime Minister of Mitterrand, it was far from obvious..."
Since then, the situation has made some progress. "Destin took into account the Mouvement de Libération des Femmes, which propelled women to the helms by appointing several female ministers, especially Health Minister Simone Veil," Mariette Sino said. The French saw a woman in politics who could "break the rigidity.". But political parties don't always make room for women candidates. Sino recalled: "In the 2017 parliamentary elections, a large number of women emerged in the Republican Party, which was the core of the National Assembly's rights at that time. The emergence of female politicians has been accompanied by the loneliness of traditional parties, which has also led to the achievement of the current ruling Republican Party forward. For a long time, the republic's main political parties have acted as 'gatekeepers' for male interests. ”
Female identity becomes an ace?
This is particularly evident on the right, the politically circumvention of gender equality "champions.". Pekeres is the only woman to take a one-on-four (candidate) and her appointment is a milestone. "In her appointment speech, she emphasized the fact that she was a woman," Sino said was a 'revolutionary' act by her party. She believes that this is a factor in modernization and change. Pécris also followed the example of two foreign female political leaders: Merkel and Thatcher.
"Politically, it's very important to have an example," Sino insisted. "With globalization, we see women on TV in the position of head of government, which helps to make this possibility more universal. 30 or 40 years ago, the French political class had a very masculine tone. In this case, female politicians have to try to forget their gender and imitate men. ”
So, is the era of change coming? According to a December 2019 poll, 71 percent of French people at the time thought it would be "desirable" for a woman to be elected president by 2030. "This is a new phenomenon," said the political scientist mentioned above. Polls in the 1970s showed that Both men and women, French, were very reluctant to elect women for political office, especially among French people with high social status. Also in France – the political scene has long been feminized, and we may have a female president in the future!
However, there is still a long way to go. "Pecles, Hidalgo and Le Pen, the parties they represent have had a greater impact over the years," said Ph.D. in sociology and researcher, "Women Politicians: The Third Sex? Mérabha Benchikh, author of the book, points out. In particular, Republicans and socialist parties are no longer considered traditional ruling parties.
Turning the page on gender attacks?
Another sign is that the campaign is taking place in a new context, where the sexism that Royal suffered in 2007 is now less violent. "'Who will take care of the children?', today, you don't hear a thought like Laurent Fabius," said Améré Leblas-Chopin, convinced, "which is a real change." For other male candidates, avoiding these gender-based attacks became a way to differentiate themselves from Eric Zemour. Interestingly, three women stood opposite the candidate who had made misogynistic, anti-equality, anti-feminist remarks. Zemour thus began to try to defend his remarks. ”
But for Meraba Benchke, machismo is still a reality. "Media coverage of the appearance (clothes, makeup, hairstyles, posture) of female candidates has not changed or has changed little... The political class is rife with never-ending violence and masculinity. These can also be internalized and embodied in women's political struggles. In the 2014 paris town elections, nathalie Kosciusko Morizet, Rachida Dati and Hidalgo clashed fiercely. ”
It will be interesting to see if issues related to women's rights will take their place in the campaign in the coming months. "Despite their campaign platform, they focused on women's causes, Le Pen and Peckrez were clearly not feminist activists," Amel Leblas-Chopard distinguished. Hidalgo is also not a feminist candidate, though she has said she will support the cause of feminism. Meraba Benchik said: "Pékrez has never demonstrated progressivism or even feminism that is consistent with the goal of equality of the individual through his values, thoughts and actions. ”
However, this may prompt some candidates to make some proposals related to women. "Whether or not these three women appear, women's rights will be important compared to previous elections – women's rights will be important in the post-Me too era and led by Me too politics," said Mariette Sino. "Proposals for women will vary and bear the imprint of different ideologies. Pécras will work to strengthen family rights, while Green Party candidate Yannick Jadot will make more "feminist" claims. In any case, all candidates should take into account female voters, as women make up the majority among voters. They accounted for 52 per cent of the registered population, and women's participation was comparable to that of men in presidential elections. Women voters must therefore be taken seriously. (Original title: Three women representing important political parties in the election The era of French women in power is coming? ）