March 8: International Women's Rights Day
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The 8 mars is not a celebration, but a reminder of the fight for women's rights around the world. While today certain freedoms seem obvious to us, they are nevertheless recent and, in some countries, still non-existent.
The right to vote, the right to work, the right to have a bank account or to freely dispose of one's body... None of this was given, it was all wrested by generations of activists. A look back at some key dates and some absurd laws that have existed for far too long.
Before the 20th century
1791 - Olympe de Gouges calls for equality
Olympe de Gouges publishes the Declaration of the Rights of Women and Citizens, denouncing the exclusion of women from the French Revolution. Her commitment earned her the guillotine in 1793.
1893 - The first right to vote for women
New Zealand becomes the first country to grant women the right to vote.
1903 - Birth of the suffragette movement
Creation of the Women's Social and Political Union in England. These activists are fighting for the right to vote through spectacular actions.
The twentieth century
1918 - Right to vote in the United Kingdom
The British grant women the right to vote... but only to those over 30.
1944 - French women finally vote
The right to vote is granted to women in France thanks to l'ordonnance du 21 avril 1944. They will vote for the first time in 1945.
1945 - Equality recognized in the UN Charter
The United Nations enshrines for the first time equality between men and women as a fundamental right.
1949 - Simone de Beauvoir and the Second Sex
Her groundbreaking work analyzed the social construction of gender and influenced generations of feminists.
1965 - Right to work and open a bank account (France)
Prior to this date, a woman had to obtain her husband's permission to exercise a profession or open a bank account.
1979 - International Convention against Discrimination
The UN adopts the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), ratified by over 180 countries.
1995 - The Beijing Conference establishes an international framework
A program of action is adopted to promote equality in all areas: education, health, politics, employment...
The 21st Century
2011 - Creation of UN Women, a United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment.
2017 - Movement #MeToo: a global tidal wave denouncing sexual violence and highlighting the extent of harassment in all walks of life.
2023 - Iceland becomes the first country in the world to make the gender pay gap illegal.
Focus on some laws specific to women
The right to wear pants in France
Until 2013, an 1800 ordinance prohibited women from wearing pants in Paris without police authorization.
Midwives banned from treating men
Until 2017, the Hippocratic oath officially prohibited midwives from treating male patients.
The profession of mortician Forbidden to Women
Historically, there was a law prohibiting women from working as morticians in France. This ban was based on considerations of decency and physical strength, believing that handling the deceased was not appropriate for women. Although this law has fallen into disuse and many women now practice the profession, it has never been officially repealed.
Ban on wearing the veil in certain sports
Since July 2024, the French Rugby Federation has banned the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols, including the veil, during official competitions. This measure, although recent, is perceived by many as discriminatory towards Muslim women wishing to practice the sport while wearing the veil.
Every advance has been hard-won. Yet even today, no country in the world has achieved perfect gender equality. March 8 is therefore a day to remember past battles, celebrate victories, but above all to remember that equality is not a foregone conclusion and that it's up to all of us to continue defending it. |
