women's day
France: controversy over the tribute to Gisèle Halimi, symbol of the fight for women's rights
Gisèle Halimi, March 6, 2004 in Fez, during a conference organized by the French magazine Le Nouvel Observateur on women from both shores of the Mediterranean.
AFP - ABDELHAK SENNA
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The memory of Gisèle Halimi is honored in France this Wednesday, March 8, International Women's Rights Day.
Emmanuel Macron will preside over a ceremony from 4 p.m. at the Paris courthouse.
One of the sons of the lawyer and feminist activist, who died in July 2020, will speak.
But another of his children, the journalist Serge Halimi, will be absent.
He believes that this tribute does not come at the right time.
An opinion shared by several feminist associations which refused the invitation from the Élysée.
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On this International Women's Rights Day, Emmanuel Macron is chairing a national tribute to Gisèle Halimi
this Wednesday afternoon
.
This lawyer born in Tunisia, very committed to the feminist struggle, denounced torture and rape in Algeria by the French army and worked for independence.
Two and a half years after
his death
, the French president will deliver a speech.
In the aftermath of the
mobilization
against his pension reform, he thus remains at a distance from the battlefield.
But feminist associations and one of Ms. Halimi's sons accuse her of "
political appropriation
" and of wanting to create a "
diversion
".
The association Choosing the cause of women, which Gisèle Halimi had created with Simone de Beauvoir, had been hoping for two years that a national tribute would be paid to the lawyer.
However, it is neither now nor like this that it should be organized, believes Hanane Rebiha, national secretary of the association.
“
We do not understand why we were informed on March 2 for a tribute which occurs on March 8,
she explains.
Why now ?
It happens all the same in a stormy social context, we are in full dispute concerning the pension reform, which particularly penalizes women elsewhere.
For us, it really comes down to political manipulation.
»
No question, therefore, of serving as a feminist guarantee for a president whose record in the fight against violence against women is insufficient, also points out Zoé Royaux, spokesperson for the Women's Foundation: "There are already
29 women who have died since January 1.
In 2019, in March, there were 27 feminicides.
So, we can absolutely multiply mini-reforms, mini-announcements and inspection commissions;
as long as we don't put in the necessary budget, that won't change.
»
For these feminist activists, the best way to honor the memory of Gisèle Halimi is to demonstrate this Wednesday for women's rights.
On the side of the Elysée, we denounce a “
political fight
”.
The Élysée denies any attempt at recovery
“
There is no blur, no wolf!
“An adviser to Emmanuel Macron repeats it: the presidency already decided “
several weeks
” ago to organize this tribute on March 8.
The reflection would even go back to 2021. "
The Head of State makes no connection between the news and the figure of Gisèle Halimi, it's off topic
", sweeps the Elysée.
The entourage of the French president prefers to focus on the positive: the presence of Jean-Yves, the eldest son of the feminist activist, and specifies that Emmanuel Macron will recall all the fights of Gisèle Halimi: against torture in Algeria, the rights of women and for the legalization of voluntary termination of pregnancy.
The Head of State could specify what he wants to do about abortion, the idea of including it in the Constitution is under discussion in Parliament.
Will Gisèle Halimi one day enter the Pantheon?
Many activists and politicians are calling for it, the file is dragging on.
"
It takes time
", defends an adviser who promises that Emmanuel Macron "
has not given up
".
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