French journalists complain of sexism and groping politicians
A group of 40 female French political reporters have signed a letter denouncing sexist politicians after going public with allegations of groping, unwanted propositions and sexist insults.
In an open letter to Liberation the correspondents claim that sexism is rife amongst the French political establishment, despite a series of recent scandals including the 2011 arrest of presidential hopeful Dominique Strauss Kahn (DSK).
In their statement the women wrote: “We thought that the DSK affair had moved things on and the macho habits, symbols of political and personal mediocrity, were becoming extinct. Alas, no.”
Backing up their case the signatories cited examples of crass behaviour including one ministerial advisor who enquired if a female journalist was "tanned all over" upon return from a holiday and an unnamed MP who wandered into a room full of female political correspondents before stating "Ah, you’re hustling; are you expecting a customer?"
In an effort to effect change the journalists concluded: “The fact that these practices, which reflect what happens on the streets, in factories and in offices every day, involved elected representatives of the republic in charge of making policy, forces us to condemn them.
“As long as politics is overwhelmingly in the hands of heterosexual men in their sixties, nothing will change. In 2015, what we would really have liked is to not have to write this.”