A council in France has abolished the word 'Mademoiselle' from all official documents because it is 'condescending and sexist'.
The Paris suburb of Fontenay-sous-Bois said the term -- the French equivalent of 'miss' -- discriminates against women by asking them to reveal if they are married.
From now on, men and women will only have to tick boxes asking if they are male or female, council bosses said.
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| The word 'Mademoiselle' is sexist. It's is simply outdated and unfair (picture posed by model) |
Officials in the borough have also banned the term 'nom de jeune fille' meaning 'maiden name' from all paperwork, because it is 'archaic' and has 'connotations of virginity'.
Instead, women who have changed their surname will be asked only for their 'birth name' on documents.
A council spokesman said: 'There is no good reason why women should have to reveal their marital status while men don't. It's is simply outdated and unfair.'
The Brittany town of Cesson-Sevigne also banned the term 'mademoiselle' two months ago after pressure from a local women's group.
Last year, French solidarity minister Roselyne Bachelot demanded a nationwide law to ban 'discriminatory' titles.
Ms Bachelot said: 'It is an invasion of privacy to ask a woman to identify herself as single or married.
'We don't ask men to do the same thing. I am just asking for complete equality on how we treat the sexes on official government forms.'
The title Mademoiselle is the equivalent of the English 'Miss', German 'Fraulein' and Spanish 'Senorita' — all terms which have now fallen into disuse.
Julie Muret of campaign group Osez Le Feminisme, meaning Dare Feminism, said in September that the equivalent word for men of 'Damoiseau' - meaning squire — was abolished decades ago.
She added: 'That disappeared because it was an old-fashioned and outmoded title, and the same should be happening to mademoiselle.
'These days men are never asked if they are married if they wanted to get a credit card or a mobile phone or pay their taxes.
'But women are always obiliged to reveal this aspect of their private lives — and it's practically only in France that this still happens.'
Osez Le Feminisme and another feminist group, Les Chiennes de Garde, launched campaigns last year to remove the term from state and company forms.
In Britain and the US, the term 'Ms' was available, in Portugal, Denmark and Germany only the madame form is used, and in Quebec it is seen as rude to use the term mademoiselle, she said.
© Daily Mail, London |
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