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Vendredi 13 septembre post #1: Combating sexism at the Cannes Film Festival

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Vendredi 13 septembre post #1: Combating sexism at the Cannes Film Festival

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The MeToo movement gained popularity in the United States when women started to call out men in power who had sexually abused them. The movement gained a great deal of traction, but when women tried to achieve the same effect in France, they were less successful. The French MeToo movement was called #balancetonporc or “call out your pig.” Women in France are still trying to bring awareness to the issue of sexual abuse, and that was seen in the films presented at the Cannes Film Festival this year. A film titled The Balconettes was written by famous French actors and directors Noémie Merlant and Céline Sciamma. The film is inspired by the MeToo movement and tells the story of three young women squaring up against abusive men. A short film titled “Moi Aussi” also premiered at the festival. It featured real sexual abuse survivors coming together to tell their stories. During the movement in the United States, famous producer Harvey Weinstein was called out for past instances of assault. In France, a well-known actor, Gérard Depardieu, was exposed for committing abuse and is awaiting trial (Jones). The Cannes Film Festival featuring stories of women overcoming and calling out abuse will encourage others in France who have experienced it to speak up. This will lead to more accountability and safer environments for women in the workforce and other daily environments. This French trend of filmmaking telling stories of sexual assault survivors reminds me of the trend a couple of years ago in Hollywood films like Promising Young Women, and She Said telling similar stories. The film industry tends to represent cultural shifts, so hopefully, the strong female voices displayed at the Cannes Film Festival will give women in France the confidence to stand up for themselves and for everyone to have more empathy toward victims of sexual abuse.

Works Cited:

“Blade to the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.” Blade,

www.blade.com/cannes-film-festival.

Accessed 10 Sept. 2024.

Jones, Emma. “France’s Divisive Reckoning with MeToo: ‘It’s Been Brewing for Years.’”

BBC News, BBC, 23 May 2024, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240522-cannes-film-festival-frances-divisive-reckoning-with-metoo.

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Vendredi 27 septembre post #2: Gender-equality at the Paris Olympics

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Vendredi 27 septembre post #2: Gender-equality at the Paris Olympics

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Paris has tended to struggle with gender equality when it comes to wage disparity. In 2022, women, on average, made 21% less than men in Paris. This is not the case everywhere in France, with other areas around Paris, like Aubervilliers and Montreuil, having a higher average wage for women than men (Apur). While Paris has not fully achieved gender equality in the workforce, the 2024 Paris Olympics were the first Olympics where an equal number of male and female athletes competed. Paris also hosted the first Olympics that allowed women to compete in 1900. It’s been a long journey for women to be included in the Olympics. They were often pushed aside because they were considered weaker and less athletic than men. Women also used to face sexism in certain sports due to stereotypes about what sports were for men and which were for women. The first time all the countries competing at the games had women on their teams was 2021 in London. At the Paris Olympics this year, there were 152 women’s events and 157 men’s events, giving men and women close to equal events to compete in (Masterson). Having equal representation at a worldwide sporting competition will show women they are capable of fair treatment and deserve equal opportunities for success. Hopefully, women in Paris facing lower wages will use the Olympics as an example of how they deserve to be treated. Seeing women working towards equal representation can encourage women in Paris to stand up for themselves and feel confident that they deserve the same treatment as their male colleagues. I felt inspired seeing so many women, like Simone Biles, become the focus of media coverage during the games. I hope women in Paris felt the same when they saw the women representing their country getting the opportunity to compete in an Olympics focused on gender equality.

Works Cited:

Apur. “Wage Disparities between Women and Men in Paris.”

Apur, 12 Jan. 2024,

www.apur.org/en/geo-data/wage-disparities-between-women-and-men-paris#:~:text=Parisian%20women%20over%2050%20earn,men%20of%20the%20same%20age.

Kovatchev, Nyden. “The 2024 Olympic Games: Anticipation and Innovation in Paris.” Sports

Displays, Sports Displays, 30 Apr. 2024, www.thesportdisplays.com/en-ca/blogs/news/the-2024-olympic-games-anticipation-and-innovation-in-paris.

Masterson, Victoria. “This Year’s Paris Olympics Will Be the First in History to Have Full Gender

Parity.” World Economic Forum, 5 Apr. 2024, www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/04/paris-olympics-2024-gender-parity/.

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Vendredi 25 octobre post #3: Women in Quebec politics

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Vendredi 25 octobre post #3: Women in Quebec politics

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Quebec, like many countries, has seen an increase in the number of women gaining political positions. Unlike other countries, these new female politicians are quickly leaving their new roles. In 2022, researchers noticed a trend in large numbers of women quitting politics in Quebec. When asked about why they were leaving their political roles, most women claimed they felt underused. Former politician Claire Samson said she felt like a “potted plant” in the political sphere. She meant that she felt she was only there for representation, and her talents and work ethic weren’t being used to their full extent. Many other female politicians agreed that they felt their political positions were purely for show and to prove that women were welcome in politics. A historian named Alexandre Dumas looked into the women’s claims and found that they were often given pre-written questions to read in legislative commissions. They also weren’t given all the background information on issues before voting, while their male colleagues were fully informed. These feelings of inequality led to women making up two-thirds of MNA, National Assembly Members, quitting before seeking another term, even though they made up 44% of the seats. Many male politicians have agreed that there is a gender gap in the treatment of politicians, but nothing is being done about it (Plante). The women who are speaking up about the hardships they face in politics are using their voices to bring change. Hopefully, the power dynamics will shift if more women speak up about why they’re leaving their positions. Encouraging women to pursue political positions is already difficult due to their exclusion from the political sphere in the past. If women continue to face unequal treatment, Quebec’s government will move back towards a male-dominated power structure. I hope the number of women speaking up will encourage change so women feel welcome in politics and can represent their gender in important discussions.

Works Cited:

“National Assembly of Québec.” Home, www.assnat.qc.ca/en/index.html. Accessed 23 Oct.

2024.

Plante, Caroline. “Are Women in Quebec Politics No More than ‘Potted Plants’? | Montreal

Gazette.” The Gazette, 11 Oct. 2024, montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/are-women-in-quebec-politics-no-more-than-potted-plants.

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Vendredi 1 novembre: Women’s strikes in Belgium

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Vendredi 1 novembre: Women’s strikes in Belgium

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The first national women’s strike in Belgium occurred on International Women’s Day in 2019. The march's slogan was, “When Women Stop, The World Stops,” and the women wore purple, symbolizing women’s rights. One of the main reasons for this march was the lack of reproductive rights for women in Belgium. Women felt that they couldn’t control their bodies, and they weren’t provided with the medical care they needed. Another main reason for the march was a lack of awareness of violence against women. The female marchers wanted to reduce the stigma around domestic violence (Wenxin). In 2024, women in Belgium marched again on the same day with the same slogan. Collecti.e.f. 8 maars is the women’s rights organization that plans the strikes because they believe striking will emphasize how offices and homes struggle to function without women. This strike also gained attention by disrupting transportation with women marching in the streets. In 2024, Belgium held more International Women’s Week events than just the strike. There were workshops, debates, and presentations held around the city to openly discuss women’s issues and highlight female artists. In 2024, women in Belgium also used their strike to speak out about climate issues (Carolan). I found it interesting that women in Quebec are fighting for the same rights that women in America are worried about this election season. Quebec having an active women’s rights organization allows women to have easy access to information on strikes and other ways to support the movement. I was intrigued by learning about how women in Quebec didn’t just strike for International Women’s Week but also held events to educate others on women’s issues and build a community of women going through similar struggles. While this strike hasn’t made a significant government impact, it still educated all people in Quebec on the inequality women face. Hopefully, those who are now aware of the issues can help the movement in the future.

Works Cited:

Carolan, Ciara. “Strikes, Events and Marches: Women’s Rights Week Begins in Belgium.” The

Brussels Times, 7 Mar. 2024, www.brusselstimes.com/954051/8-march-marks-beginning-of-womens-rights-week.

Wenxin, Chen, and Dong Yuwen. “Belgian Women on Strike Nationwide for Equality.”

Chinadaily.Com.Cn, 11 Mar. 2019, global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201903/11/WS5c85c2cca3106c65c34edde5.html.

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Vendredi 15 novembre: Progress in New Orleans

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Vendredi 15 novembre: Progress in New Orleans

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In August of 2024, the Junior League of New Orleans met to present their findings on progress toward gender equality in the state. The Junior League is a non-profit that advocates for local women, and this meeting was held in honor of its 100th anniversary (Junior). One of their most significant findings was a wage gap between women of color and white women. While black women make up the majority of women working in New Orleans politics, they’re paid significantly less than their white colleagues. Women of color in New Orleans are also more likely to be in poverty. The local government is trying to solve this issue by partnering with local universities to create more job opportunities in the community. The Junior League suggests that the local government should invest more in childcare services so women can take advantage of these new jobs. Another significant finding was that half of the women in New Orleans reported violence from a partner at some point in their lives. The City Council is addressing this problem by donating money to provide more DNA kits and faster processing times for victims of assault and violent crimes (Stennett). I enjoyed learning about the Junior League and found it encouraging that there was an organization working to bring to light gender inequality. It seems the local government has been listening to the League’s findings and suggestions to improve women's lives in New Orleans. Hopefully, creating new local jobs will reduce gender income disparity for women of all races. The City Council working to help women who have experienced violence get justice is a step in the right direction and will likely encourage more women to speak up. I believe it would also be beneficial for the local government to invest in mental health resources for victims. The people of New Orleans seem to be very aware of the ways in which women experience sexism, and they are taking steps to solve it.

Works Cited:

“Junior League of New Orleans.” Non-Profit | Community & Civic Organizations - New Orleans

Chamber of Commerce, LA, www.neworleanschamber.org/members/member/junior-league-of-new-orleans-20789. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

Stafford, Paul. “How to Spend a Day in the French Quarter, New Orleans’ Fun-Loving

Neighbourhood.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 4 Aug. 2023, www.independent.co.uk/travel/north-america/usa/french-quarter-travel-guide-new-orleans-usa-b2383803.html.

Stennett, Desiree. “Are New Orleans Women Thriving? The Answer Is Complicated, Junior

League Report Finds.” NOLA.Com, 14 Aug. 2024, www.nola.com/news/politics/state-of-women-new-orleans/article_a5d8d1fe-5a51-11ef-b012-e3a8a3c421ad.html.