Women

Uber launches its woman-only driver service in Paris

The service aims to make female and non-binary passengers feel safer

Death of Paris student: What is ‘The Sorority’ app that sent alert?

The free app is designed to alert other users in the event that members feel unsafe or at risk of male violence

President Macron speaks out on sexual consent, menopause and fertility

‘Every woman should have free use of her body…but the poor organisation of our society must not prevent people from having children if they so wish’, he says

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Can you name the seven women honoured in France’s Pantheon?

Some shaped the modern world and others fought in the shadows

Covid vaccine disturbs menstruation for some women, finds French study

Health body claims risk of very heavy bleeding slightly increased in the three months following the first mRNA Covid vaccination

Support for ‘promising’ new saliva test for endometriosis in France

Positive early results could lead to the test being 100% reimbursed for eligible sufferers in future, say health authorities

I want girls to pick this career, says French World’s Best Pastry Chef

The first woman to win the global patissier competition tells us how she had to fight to succeed

French cricket clubs accused of faking women’s matches for funding

Subsidies paid to develop the women’s game were linked to matches that never happened according to a TV investigation

Efficacy of popular period pain drug Spasfon questioned in France

The scientific data is scant and the drug’s effectiveness is based on old-fashioned, sexist medical overtones, a new book claims

First chairwoman of top language body Académie française dies at 94

Hélène Carrère d’Encausse recently told The Connexion she was not worried about anglicisms but did fear French was being abused and impoverished

Right-to-die activist postpones death, continues campaign

Connexion caught up with right-to-die activist Jacqueline Jencquel, who we spoke to in 2018 and January 2020, just as a French erotic film came out focusing on the same subject. Liv Rowland spoke to her about her new book and to the director and star of the film.

Missing jogger found safe and well in France: she left with a friend

Search parties had been launched after the 20-year-old failed to return home after leaving to go jogging early on Friday morning

France’s female football manager sacked after rift with key players

Corinne Diacre was fired after her relationship with players ‘had reached the point of no return’, said the French football federation

The only six women in history to be ‘reburied’ in the French Panthéon

We celebrate the women deemed worthy to lie in Paris’s special ‘hall of fame’

Women in France invited to report menstrual issues after Covid vaccine

A nationwide assessment of reports is underway with more than 10,000 already received from people who received the Pfizer and Moderna jabs

First female UK ambassador to France begins work at Wellington’s desk

Menna Rawlings is the first woman after a long line of male ambassadors, including the Duke of Wellington, of Waterloo fame, who bought the residence she has moved to, in 1814. Since Wellington, there have been 36 men in the job (including the duke) before her.

La chasse: Women account for just 2.5% of 1million hunters in France

Hunting is one of France's most popular sports but 97.5% of the practitioners are men. A women’s hunting association and a popular influencer are trying to change that

Updated: Reader tips over maiden names on French vaccine certificates

Obtaining a certificate with the same name as your passport is possible, say officials - but readers continue to report not being able to get this done - and share their experiences and tips

Mixed success in removing maiden name from French vaccine certificate

Several women vaccinated in France fear potential travel issues due to having different surnames on their Covid vaccine certificate and non-French passport. There is no official solution but one reader has found a ‘work-around’

Covid vaccine: French health body says impact on menstruation possible

More than 300 cases of menstrual changes after vaccination with Moderna or Pfizer have been reported in France but no definitive link has been proven. Issues are said to be ‘potential’ side effects

40,000 women in France have potentially faulty contraceptive coils

The affected coils have reduced contraceptive benefits and could lead to unwanted pregnancy. They do not pose an urgent health risk but should be removed

'Listen to the victims who dare to report domestic violence'

In her monthly Connexion column, award-winning journalist Nabila Ramdani talks about chronic domestic abuse in France

Covid France: Why do women report more vaccine side-effects than men?

Cultural, biological, and societal reasons may all be a factor in why up to 79.9% of side-effects reported after vaccines in France are from women

Champions League's first female referee is French

Stéphanie Frappart will make history again when she officiates a Champions League match this week

Getting a breast cancer scan in France: FAQs

Did you know that women aged 50-74 and living in France are eligible for a free breast cancer screening every two years, even without symptoms or any risk factors? We explain.

French police ask topless sunbather to cover up

A woman sunbathing topless on a beach in France was asked by police to put her bikini top on after a family nearby complained. There is no law against topless sunbathing in France.

Haut-Rhin: the village that burnt 60 witches at the stake

We recount the dark history of the Haut-Rhin village which burnt 60 people at the stake for practising witchcraft.

For and against: Miss France beauty pageant

Miss France: outdated or a celebration of women?

US visa opens up new kayak challenges

Extreme canoeist Nouria Newman is in search of new adventures after managing to be recognised as a sports professional and getting a visa for the US, The Connexion discovers

‘Women-only’ tourism trend booming in France

A French company is leading the way on “women-only tourism”, an increasingly-popular travel trend in Europe over the past five years, according to the World Tourism Organisation.

Women’s group is celebrating its first decade

A friendly, supportive women’s group is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Paris pool closes due to ‘pro-burkini’ protest

A public pool in Paris closed this weekend after pro-burkini activists mounted a protest against the ban on the body-covering swimsuit, and demanding “access for all to leisure facilities”.

700 street harassment fines issued in France in a year

Behaviour such as cat-calling, making offensive comments about a person's appearance, obscene gestures, unwanted propositioning, or deliberately and insistently following someone in the street can now result in fines of between €90 and €750

French start-up installs urinals for women in Paris

New female urinals created by a French start-up have been installed in Paris in a bid to cut long waiting times for women at public toilets.

Mother donates womb to daughter

A woman who underwent France’s first uterine transplant can now have children – out of the uterus in which she grew as a foetus

French Ligue 1 match has female referee for first time

A woman is set to referee a match for the French Ligue 1 this weekend, making her the first female referee ever to do so, the Fédération Française de Football (FFF) has confirmed.

Strasbourg and Lyon to trial women bus request stops

Women travelling on public buses after 22h in Strasbourg and Lyon will soon be allowed to ask the driver to drop them off between two stops, if it will mean that they have a shorter walk home in the dark.

French women protest for International Women’s Day

Women across France are being called on to stop work at 15h40 today (March 8) as part of a wave of protests planned to mark the 42nd annual International Women’s Day.

Sex law ‘stops us doing our jobs’

Prostitutes’ clients will continue to be fined – to the dismay of sex workers who say it hinders their ability to work.

French firm Decathlon pulls running hijab after uproar

French sports giant Decathlon has removed its “running hijab” from shelves in France after receiving hundreds of complaints, comments, and racist messages on the issue.

Lyon police search for two missing 16-year-old girls

Two 16-year-old lycée students from near Lyon have now been “worryingly” missing for a week, the French police nationale has confirmed, as the search continues.

Push for a women’s Tour gathers pace

Cycling is a sport that is seemingly run by men for men but a women’s movement is gaining momentum – with the target of a women’s Tour de France.

Associations await decision on France sex worker law

Nine sex worker associations in France, including Médecins du Monde , are awaiting a decision from national council Le Conseil Constitutionnel on the constitutional position of prostitution in the country.

Controversial 'women over 50' author defends comments

Director and author, aged 50, describes attitude as 'a personal problem'

French director controversy over ‘women aged 50’ quip

French director and writer Yann Moix has caused controversy after saying he “could not love a 50-year-old woman” and “only goes out with Asian women”.

Gilets jaunes: Women demand peace amid police violence

Hundreds of female gilets jaunes marched to champion the power of peaceful protest this weekend, amid news of continuing police violence, and a professional boxer accused of assaulting a police officer.

Old US wives’ club now embraces every woman

Bordeaux Women’s Club ( bordeauxwomensclub.org ) aims to help international English-speaking women meet and adapt comfortably into French life and culture.

Air France names first ever female director general

Air France has appointed experienced airline director Anne Rigail as its new director general, taking over from previous director Franck Terner as the first woman ever in the role.

What women wear is not up for debate

Samantha David says that women should be able to dress how they want, when they want

Hundreds march on Paris to protest domestic violence

Hundreds of people have marched this weekend to the old Palais de Justice in Paris, demanding “justice for women” and more support from the government in the fight against domestic violence.

Bordeaux celebrates its famous women

City hosts its first Journées du Matrimoine at the weekend, in conjunction with the Europe-wide Journées du Patrimoine

French senator calls for new inquiry into Levothyrox

A French senator has called for a new inquiry into the ongoing Levothyrox thyroid medication scandal to get “a real view of the situation”.

Rennes market celebrates rise of French female chefs

The city of Rennes is celebrating female chefs this weekend (Sunday September 2), by including only restaurants and food by women in the 10th edition of its monthly food markets.

Women pioneers in French submarines

Four female naval officers have become the first to complete a mission on a French nuclear battle submarine after being barred from such work since the service was founded.

Women cycling ahead of Tour de France demand parity

A group of female cyclists is gaining in popularity after once again completing this year’s Tour de France one day ahead of the famous male peloton, to demand equivalent recognition for their sport.

‘Built-in obsolescence’ study targets women’s tights

Clothing brands are deliberately making women’s tights that will “ladder”, forcing users to throw them away after just six uses, a new study by anti-“built-in obsolescence” association HOP has found.

Government to sanction ‘unjustified’ pay gaps by 2022

Businesses with “unjustified” gaps between employees’ pay are to be sanctioned financially from 2022 onwards, the government has announced.

Césars 2018’s ‘dark humour’ on harassment scandals

The 43rd annual César awards have made a strong statement on the #MeToo and #BalanceTonPorc scandals, with comedian and actress Blanche Gardin performing a cutting routine on the subject.

MP denounces sexist comments on her low-cut dress

Aurore Bergé, MP in the La République en Marche party, has denounced comments she received after appearing on a TV debate as “sexist”.

Street harassment could soon be fined by up to €350

Street harassment could soon be punished by fines of between €90 and €350, if a government proposal goes ahead.

Not a woman's job? I proved them wrong

Samantha David talks to Zahia Ziouani about being in charge of an orchestra and taking classical music into prisons

Actress Huppert comes out in support of #MeToo

Isabelle Huppert, one of the country’s most celebrated actresses, has come out in support of the #MeToo anti-sexual harassment movement, saying that it should have happened “sooner”.

Needles fly as speed knitting contest begins in Paris

Excitement over the Winter Olympics may be high, but closer to home a different kind of contest is coming together: the 15th annual French championship of “speed knitting”.

Women severely underrepresented in French media

Women are severely underrepresented in the French media, a new report has shown, accounting for only 169 of the 1,000 most-publicised figures in the press in 2017.

Miss France 2018 fights violence against women

The Miss France 2018 contest has crowned this year’s overall winner and has dedicated the event to fighting violence against women.

French-Tunisian designer Alaïa dies aged 77

Azzedine Alaïa, the French-Tunisian high-fashion designer often credited with creating pencil skirts and black underwear for the masses, has died aged 77.

Thousands pay homage to French jogger Alexia Daval

Thousands of joggers across France have paid homage to Alexia Daval this weekend, the 29-year-old jogger who was found dead in a wood in the Haute-Saône on Monday.

Electric face brushes launch in French supermarkets

An electric face-cleansing brush is coming to large supermarkets in France for the first time at the end of October, despite the technology being slow to take off in the country.

French women opt for alternatives as Pill use drops

French women are using the contraceptive pill (the Pill) less and less as their primary method of contraception, according to a new study.

Assisted conception available to all women from 2018

Secretary of state for equality tells BFMTV decision is 'a matter of social justice'

Veil should be admitted to Panthéon, petitioners say

Tens of thousands of people calling for Simone Veil to be ‘panthéonisée’ in honour of her life’s work

On this day in history…

On April 21, 1944 – 73 years ago – French women were granted their right to vote, almost 100 years after men.

Women drivers are safer and pay less for insurance

Taking fewer risks, driving smoother and having fewer accidents means women have a higher no claims bonus

Women’s networking group blooms in Provence

When Rebecca Ronane moved to Provence, she struggled to find a local, English-speaking networking group.