Women in the French Senate
File:Sénatrices françaises 2021.svg
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.{{Cite web|last=Lambert|first=Caroline|date=May 1, 2001|title=French Women in Politics: The Long Road to Parity|url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/french-women-in-politics-the-long-road-to-parity/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=Brookings|language=en-US}} In 1997, only 5.9% of senators were women. In 2015, 25% of senators were women.{{Cite web|last=Buchanan|first=Kelly|date=2015-03-04|title=Women in History: Elected Representatives {{!}} In Custodia Legis: Law Librarians of Congress|url=https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2015/03/women-in-history-elected-representatives/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=blogs.loc.gov}}
In mid-1999, an amendment was added to the French Constitution mandating gender parity in electoral candidates for senators.{{Cite web|last=Allen|first=Steve|title=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|url=https://ouclf.law.ox.ac.uk/the-law-on-gender-parity-in-politics-in-france-and-new-caledonia-a-window-into-the-future-or-more-of-the-same/|access-date=2021-10-05|language=en-GB}}
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:.{{Cite web|date=2007-03-16|title=Obituary: Lucie Aubrac|url=http://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/mar/16/guardianobituaries.france|access-date=2021-10-07|website=the Guardian|language=en}} From 1944-1945, 16 women sat as delegates to this assembly{{Cite web|title=1944-1948 – Left in Paris|url=https://leftinparis.org/periods/1944-1948/|access-date=2021-10-07|language=en-GB}} Lucie Aubrac, Madeleine Braun, Gilberte Brossolette, {{ill|Marie Couette|fr|v=sup}}, Claire Davinroy, {{ill|Andrée Defferre-Aboulker|fr}}, {{ill|Alice Delaunay|fr}}, {{ill|Martha Desrumaux|fr}}, {{ill|Annie Hervé|fr}}, Marie-Hélène Lefaucheux, Mathilde Gabriel-Péri, Pauline Ramart, Marthe Simard, Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier, {{ill|Marianne Verger|fr}}, 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.{{Cite web|date=2020-09-25|title=Le Sénat, vigie de la République|url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/le-senat-vigie-de-la-republique-20200925|access-date=2021-10-20|website=LEFIGARO|language=fr}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Women senators since 1946{{cite web|title=Les femmes sénateurs - Sénat|url=http://www.senat.fr/evenement/archives/D25/prop.html|website=www.senat.fr|date=September 8, 2021}} ! style="background-color:#ffd9d9" scope=col | Election !! style="background-color:#ffd9d9" scope="col" | Number of women !! style="background-color:#ffd9d9" scope="col" | Total number of senators !! style="background-color:#ffd9d9" scope="col" | Percentage | |||
| 1946 | 21 | 314 | 6.7% |
| 1971 | 4 | 283 | 1.4% |
| 2001 | 35 | 321 | 10.9% |
| 2004 | 60 | 331 | 18.1% |
| 2008 | 75 | 343 | 21.9% |
| 2011 | 77 | 348 | 22.1% |
| 2014 | 87 | 348 | 25.0% |
| 2017 | 115 | 348 | 31.8% |
| 2020 | 121 | 348 | 34.8% |
List of prominent female senators
Parliamentary group leaders
| class="wikitable"
!Years !Senator !Group |
| 1975-1978 |
| 1979-2001 |
| 2001-2012 |
| 2012-
|Éliane Assassi{{Cite web|date=2020-09-30|title=Éliane Assassi réélue présidente du groupe communiste au Sénat|url=https://www.publicsenat.fr/article/parlementaire/eliane-assassi-reelue-presidente-du-groupe-communiste-au-senat-184831|access-date=2021-09-29|website=Public Senat|language=fr}} |
| 2015-2016 |
References
{{Reflist}}{{Legislatures of the French Fifth Republic}}{{Women in government}}
Category:French women in politics