She defined herself as a "disrespectful lawyer": the figure of feminism Gisèle Halimi died on Tuesday, at the age of 93. The political class unanimously paid tribute to this "great fighter for the emancipation of women", according to Emmanuel Macron, but one question remains: what feminist heritage does she leave behind? On Europe 1, Céline Piques, spokesperson for Dare Feminism, salutes a personality who "held firm" despite insults and threats.
The "violent reactions" against Halimi
"She transmitted a tenacity in the face of adversity," says Céline Piques, who remembers the "numerous" and "extremely violent" reactions against her in the 1970s. In 1972, Gisèle Halimi thus defended a minor judged for having aborted following rape, in the Bobigny trial.
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"Gisèle Halimi was insulted and threatened and she has always held firm. This is what we can try to draw inspiration from today in our feminist struggles", explains the activist, who also mentions the Aix trial in 1978 , in which the lawyer defends two lesbians raped and tortured.
A parallel with today's battles
The parallel drawn by Céline Piques between the fights of Gisèle Halimi in the 1970s and the current struggles does not stop there. "She refused a status quo which seemed unfair to her and she fought to win decisive battles", continues the association manager.
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"His tenacity and intellectual brilliance can nourish us today in our struggles and our struggles, while we too are attacked or vilified." Bullying of which the figures of the #MeToo generation are particularly victims "by a certain number of misogynists who still propagate the culture of rape, which she denounced already 40 years ago".