Paris (AFP)

Contempt, racism, diktat of thinness: tired of being reduced to a role of "pots", hostesses rebel against the sexism that gangrene their profession, multiplying this summer taken of words on social networks and petitions.

Ex-hostess in the event itself, Natasha is used to hearing racist or sexist remarks since she became a recruiter: "Hey, are we hiring housekeepers now?" when three black women come out of the elevator for an interview. "No, she can not be hired, she is nice but she has to get into the sport" ...

"We end up taking the fold and, in his head, we eliminate a candidate even before she opened her mouth, because we know it will not please the client," regrets Natasha (his name, like that of all other women, has been modified).

"When a colleague resigned, my manager asked that her replacement be a blonde with blue eyes and not + a big pile +," recalls Marie, hostess.

Size 36 imposed, high heels, smooth hair and white skin: these criteria come back regularly in the testimonials published on the Twitter account #PastaPotiche.

For a month, Alice publishes on this account the testimonies, mostly anonymous, she receives from hostesses or ex-hostesses.

"Mobilizing on social networks allows us to discuss, to know each other," says Alice. Because "it is enough that one complains so that our agency does not remember us any more," she assures, thus justifying her anonymity.

- "Sexual assault" -

With this movement "for the first time, in a visible way, they are hostesses who are organized" to testify to what they undergo, says Caroline de Haas, member of the collective #NousToutes. "I have the feeling that we are living replicas of #MeToo," she told AFP.

"I was sexually assaulted and my agency did nothing," says Alice. It details: the client, a big boss, touches her breast and then tries to make her dance. Her agency does not react, telling her that she is not the first.

For her, the click came from a petition launched on the platform Change.org on July 23, calling for the removal of hostesses on the podiums of the Tour de France, signed by 37,000 people.

Alice launched her own petition on August 13th, calling for "releasing" the hostess business in events. It had gathered Tuesday, more than 23,000 supporters.

"I do not want to ban the job of hostess," she says. She asks to meet Muriel Penicaud, the Minister of Labor, whom she calls to launch a "plan of action" to put an end to sexism towards the hostesses.

Contacted, the office of Ms. Pénicaud did not respond to the solicitations of AFP. The cabinet of Marlene Schiappa, Secretary of State for Gender Equality and also recipient of the petition, said she did not want to comment.

"This petition shows above all that employers do not respect the labor code concerning discrimination," said de Haas.

"It's as if being flirted was part of their role," noted in Libération, Friday, the sociologist Gabrielle Schutz, author of the book "Young, pretty and outsourced: hostesses".

On July 26, in response to the petition calling for the end of the hostesses on the Tour de France, Ms. Schiappa recognized "something a little out of date" in this practice and recalled that many other sports had ended.

A reaction that had itself made waves. "If I want to make a living with my ass, it's my right, it's not yours to forbid it," replied the Twitter account @ CamilleVernier1 on July 27th.

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