Women in the French Senate explained

This article is to share the history and details of women in the French Senate.

History

Women have been able to serve in political office in France since 1944.[1] In 1997, only 5.9% of senators were women. In 2015, 25% of senators were women. [2]

In mid-1999, an amendment was added to the French Constitution mandating gender parity in electoral candidates for senators. [3]

General de Gualle declared in June 23, 1942 that "all men and women will elect the National Assembly". Marthe Simard and Lucie Aubrac were appointed members of the Provisional Consultative Assembly of Algiers:[4] . From 1944-1945, 16 women sat as delegates to this assembly[5] Lucie Aubrac, Madeleine Braun, Gilberte Brossolette,, Claire Davinroy,,,,, Marie-Hélène Lefaucheux, Mathilde Gabriel-Péri, Pauline Ramart, Marthe Simard, Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier,, and Andrée Viénot.

In 1946, 6.69% of senators were women, and the percentage decreased until only 1.4% in 1971. As a result of the law of parity, in 2021 women made up a third of the senators.[6]

Election !! style="background-color:#ffd9d9" scope="col"
Number of women !Total number of senators Percentage
194621 314 6.7%
19714 283 1.4%
200135 321 10.9%
200460 331 18.1%
200875 343 21.9%
201177 348 22.1%
201487 348 25.0%
2017115 348 31.8%
2020121 348 34.8%

List of prominent female senators

!Name!Term!Region!Party
Marthe SimardResistance Representative
Lucie Aubrac[7] 1944Resistance Representative
Jane Vialle[8] [9] 1947–1948Ubangui-ChariAPEAN; Association for Evolution of Black Africa
Éugénie Éboué1946–1948GuadeloupeSocialist Party, RFP
Jacqueline Alduy1982–1983Pyrénées-OrientalesNot Affiliated
Viviane Artigalas[10] 2017–Hautes-PyrénéesSocialist Party

Parliamentary group leaders

YearsSenatorGroup
1975-1978Marie-Thérèse GoutmannCommunist, Republican, Citizen and Ecologist group
1979-2001Hélène LucCommunist, Republican, Citizen and Ecologist group
2001-2012Nicole Borvo Cohen-SeatCommunist, Republican, Citizen and Ecologist group
2012-Éliane Assassi[11] Communist, Republican, Citizen and Ecologist group
2015-2016Corinne BouchouxEcologist group

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lambert. Caroline. May 1, 2001. French Women in Politics: The Long Road to Parity. 2021-09-03. Brookings. en-US.
  2. Web site: Buchanan. Kelly. 2015-03-04. Women in History: Elected Representatives In Custodia Legis: Law Librarians of Congress. 2021-09-03. blogs.loc.gov.
  3. Web site: Allen. Steve. The Law on Gender Parity in Politics in France and New Caledonia: A Window into the Future or More of the Same? Oxford University Comparative Law Forum. 2021-10-05. en-GB.
  4. Web site: 2007-03-16. Obituary: Lucie Aubrac. 2021-10-07. the Guardian. en.
  5. Web site: 1944-1948 – Left in Paris. 2021-10-07. en-GB.
  6. Web site: 2020-09-25. Le Sénat, vigie de la République. 2021-10-20. LEFIGARO. fr.
  7. Book: Lloyd, C.. Collaboration and Resistance in Occupied France: Representing Treason and Sacrifice. 2003-09-16. Springer. 978-0-230-50392-2. en.
  8. Web site: Rivet. Nathan. 2017-03-08. Jeanne/Jane Vialle (1906–1953) •. 2021-10-05. en-US.
  9. Web site: Joseph-Gabriel. Annette. 2017-03-13. From Concentration Camps to the Senate: Black Women in the French Resistance. 2021-10-05. AAIHS. en-US.
  10. Web site: La sénatrice des Hautes-Pyrénées, Viviane Artigalas, à la commission économique. 2021-09-29. ladepeche.fr. fr.
  11. Web site: 2020-09-30. Éliane Assassi réélue présidente du groupe communiste au Sénat. 2021-09-29. Public Senat. fr.

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