“Parisiennes Citoyennes:” A Reflection

1945: women gained the right to vote. 1975: women gained the right to abortion. 2000: gender parity laws were passed. The battle for gender parity in France has not been an easy one. In my first week of study abroad in Paris, I had the opportunity to attend the “Parisiennes Citoyennes” exposition at the Musée Carnavalet. The exposition highlighted the “engagement pour l’émancipation des femmes (1789-2000),” or the battle of French women to obtain rights as well as the evolution of feminism in France beginning with efforts dating back to the French Revolution.

I couldn’t help but think of WHEN as I meandered my way through the crowded rooms of the exposition. So often we bring up and discuss issues pertaining to the American feminist movement, which can sometimes make it easy to forget that many gender minorities are fighting or have fought the exact same battles across the globe.

Niki de Saint Phalle and her painting

“Parisiennes citoyennes,” as reflected in the name, is unique in that it highlighted the experience of Parisian citizens throughout the centuries who made a difference in gaining rights for women. These people were suffragettes, artists, protestors, scientists, immigrants, and militant feminists, among others. It was inspiring to see the ways in which Parisian citizens played such a significant role in France’s feminist movement. However, it is also important to note that for many years, this battle lacked intersectionality and failed to include women of color, immigrants, and other gender minorities. It begs the question as to how the MLF (Mouvement de Libération des Femmes) parallels that of the Women’s Liberation Movement in the U.S. as well as the ways in which our societies choose to share that everchanging history.

Some memorable pieces from the exhibit included a pair of trousers from the time when women first started collectively organizing sporting events, the “Garçonnes” (Flappers), or the group of women in the 1920s who “revolutionized fashion by appropriating masculine codes," the symbol of the MLF: a triangle made with the hands to symbolize a vulva, the work by the French feminist artist, Orlan, and a piece from a series by Niki de Saint Phalle in which she shot her paintings. It was a diverse and moving exposition, with each room chronologically telling a story of the battle for women’s emancipation. Yet as suggested earlier, these pieces told only one side of the story: that of a white and stereotypically female body.

symbol of the MLF (Musée Carnavalet, 2021).

For example, using the vulva as the sign of women’s liberation fails to acknowledge the difference between gender and sex and therefore excludes a large portion of folks who could have or did also profit from rights gained because of the MLF. On the other hand, one might argue that Orlan’s, “Le Baiser de l’artiste,” which alludes to the exploitation of women’s bodies throughout history using a picture of her own body, does not accurately represent the women of color, trans, and non-binary people who have also suffered a lack of bodily autonomy.

As this blog post only touched the surface, I look forward to learning more about the fight for women’s rights in France. This exposition served as another reminder that women are often more interconnected than we realize. Furthermore, I look forward to making an increased effort when traveling to learn more about the generations past who helped fight to gain rights in their countries.

I’d like to end with a special quote (also a play on words) from the exposition and the MLF, “Quand les femmes s’aiment, les hommes ne récoltent pas” (“When women love each other, men don’t reap”).

Exposition promotion: https://youtu.be/v1gRJH8_Wtw

Exposition description: https://www.carnavalet.paris.fr/expositions/parisiennes-citoyennes