Women are for men, or so French women imply. They are as they do to impress the opposite sex – they dress up, they act fastidiously, and so on for men’s sake. “Sisterhood has not yet arrived in France”, as one woman journalist pointed out as I arrived in Paris. Many of my female associates from Paris somehow agree. They refer to French women as lacking the ‘modern woman attitude’, particularly gender assertiveness and independence. Even so, these very people, even myself, find French women formidable and terrifying and yet, admirable in so many ways.
Once, an Irishwoman – like myself – had remarked that the French women are vain and competitive. “Bitchy. Always put themselves first. Ruthless in pursuit of a man. Once they have selected one, incredibly loyal and self-effacing. They put up with anything from men. They dress beautifully but they are never fashion victims. When dressing, they have a devastating ability to make accessibilities count. They don’t spend much on make-up but they will spend vast amounts on skin-care and ruin it all by smoking 20 a day,” she says. She’s been working alongside French career women in a large corporation for the past 10 years now. And these were her words when I asked her of her opinion regarding French women.
To add to that, French women would sip but they would not drink. Not once have I seen a French woman intoxicated. Ironically, the French have been known to be great chefs and yet, I have never encountered a French woman have a plateful of their delicacies. To boot, the idea of a fat French women seems to be almost ridiculous. I’m not even familiar with it, actually. They are generally thin, but I don’t think they exercise. They would rather park illegally then walk a hundred miles far from their destination.
In France, the men dominate. A friend of mine – she’s French – was literally shocked and mocked me when I told her that I was going to have dinner with a homosexual, male friend. The reason for this, however, was not because I was with a homosexual male but because I was with another man in public. If it were her, her husband would have gone ballistic – and he’s a nice man. As it turns out, men are allowed the liberty of having an independent social life; women who even attempt to engage in such are automatically frowned upon.
One might ask, what is this situated high regards? It could be that French women just sincerely admire their men. Besides – might I point out – compared to the Anglo-Saxon men and women, the French are more comfortable with sex. Although French women may come off as proud, in truth, they are already contented with the life of being the wife. Moreover, they prefer to maintain their state of exquisite femininity. From this point, I personally see them as already satisfied and completely happy in that position.
However, no matter the case, it is unavoidable that women of such circumstances will be affected by its downsides, too. Recent government surveys prove that female executives receive 20 percent less in their salary as compared to male executives. Moreover, they are barred from further opportunities in the highest level of the corporate ladder. Women who do make it through and reach high-ranking positions are still susceptible to sexist abuse. I have witnesses such a case earlier this year when I visited an agricultural presentation; the crowd of farmers outright harassed the environment minister and green leader, Dominique Voynet, hooting that they would rather see her in her knickers. Because of the frequency of likewise incidences, the “Chiennes de Garde” had been formed. Regardless of the literal meaning it holds, being as it translates to “guard-bitches”, the Chiennes de Garde is in fact an elite group of women designated to eradicate detrimental exploits against the female sex.
The younger generation takes interest in taking down this barrier, as well. Perhaps being exposed to foreign media and ideas had influenced them to become more inclined to a feminist perspective. This is evident from the recent protests conducted by the Lycee students, most of whom were girls.
So then, do I like French women? Yes. They may be blunt. They may be bitchy. (“That color is wrong for you” ”Isn’t it time you get a new jacket?”) Nonetheless, I find them refreshing. They are far different from the American and British women I have encountered in Washington and London. Oftentimes, I would these women’s actions quite difficult to figure; simply put, these women are wearing ‘masks’. On the other hand, French women hold a more direct approach – which I like. If they smile, they are approachable. If they frown, then they are in a bad mood. These obvious signs make me less hesitant to make my move. After all, in France, what you see is what you get.
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