Very critical of the Miss France beauty contest and the criteria for selecting candidates, the association Osez le féminisme!

was dismissed, Friday, January 6, by the industrial tribunal of Bobigny.

She denounced the "discriminatory and illegal recruitment process" of the competition.

The court declared itself competent in relation to the question raised, "which means that (it) recognizes the existence of a work and a process of recruitment" in the selection of candidates for the beauty pageant, observed Dare feminism!

in a press release.

"Sexist and illegal" criteria

However, the prud'hommes rejected the other demands of feminist activists, an "intolerable decision which perpetuates a discriminatory and illegal recruitment process", regretted the association, which says it is waiting to learn the motivation for the decision. before possibly appealing.

The activists of Dare feminism!

had started this legal procedure in October 2021, arguing that the organizers of the competition imposed discriminatory clauses on young candidates – such as being at least 1.70 m tall or being “representative of beauty”.

These criteria are "sexist and illegal", maintains the association.

In a brief statement sent to the media, the Miss France Society and Endemol Production declared themselves Friday "happy that their arguments have been heard".

Miss France "remains committed to highlighting all women", added the organizers.

Dare feminism challenged the nature of the legal relationship between the organizers and the candidates: since last year, they have signed an employment contract with the production of the show, as "models".

The activists believe that this contract should begin not three days before the election, but from the regional selections.

"They don't have to govern morality"

During the hearing last November, the president of the Miss France Society, Alexia Laroche-Joubert, argued that this question did not fall within her competence because she was only responsible for the national election.

She had also refuted to journalists that the competition could be described as "sexist".

Alexia Laroche-Joubert had also denounced a desire for "censorship" on the part of feminist activists.

"They don't have to govern morality. When you think you can decide for women, I find that unacceptable," she said.

For the election of Miss France 2023 on December 17 – won by the Guadeloupean Indira Ampiot – the organizers had underlined that they had widened their selection criteria, in order to modernize an often criticized image.

Until then, only women between 18 and 24 years old, having no children and measuring at least 1.70 m could claim the title.

If the minimum size remains, the competition is now open to all women over 18, without age limit, including married, with or without children.

A rule that even applies to transgender women, "from the moment the candidate has a female civil status", according to Alexia Laroche-Joubert.

With AFP

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