19
Big noise around Françoise Giroud [the first Sécrétaire d’Etat à la
Condition Féminine], who, in order to justify her participation in the
Giscard government, didn’t hesitate to announce: the biggest event of
1974 in France is the importance accorded to women’s issues. Suddenly,
according to Giroud, politicians care about women. We have a Sécrétariat
d’Etat that has a ‘voice’ but no means (Les Pétroleuses, 1976, No. 6:
17).
42
In the 1980s, feminists struggled against new anti-abortion groups, known in
France as commandos anti-IVG (anti-abortion commandos). Influenced by and often
trained by US “pro-life” activists, these groups appeared on the scene not long after the
fascist political party Front National attacked newly gained women’s rights in the mid-
1980s (Les Cahiers du féminisme, Winter 1986, No. 38, special insert). In 1992, due to
the enormous violence of these groups, the government made any act that interfered with
a woman’s right to obtain an abortion (for instance blocking an abortion clinic) a crime
with severe punishment, including jail time and high fines. Of particular importance for
the present analysis is that the feminist reviews responded to the anti-abortion threat not
only with an increase in coverage about the commandos, but did so by once again
invoking the language of women’s rights. One article in the Cahiers du féminisme, for
instance, is entitled “Défendre un juste droit!” (Defend a just right) (Les Cahiers du
féminisme, Autumn 1991, No. 58: 6). Another “Le Droit à l’avortement menacé” (The
right to abortion in danger) (Les Cahiers du féminisme, Summer 1991, No. 57: 40). And
another one “Un Droit à reconquérir sans cesse” (A right to be regained without stop)
(Les Cahiers du féminisme, Winter/Spring 1992, No. 63/64: 29). With this strong appeal
to its readers (and all other women) to remain vigilant for women’s rights, the reviews,
once again, evoked a sense of identity and unity—or “sisterhood”—amongst French
women. In 1992, thousands of women followed this appeal and took to the streets to
demonstrate for women’s rights to reproductive freedom. However, at this time the end
42
“[G]rand bruit fait autour de Françoise Giroud, qui pour justifier sa participation au gouvenement de
Giscard, n’avait pas hésité à declarer: L’évément le plus marquant de 1974, est l’importance donné en
France brutalement, aux problèmes féminins. Brutalement selon Giroud, la politique s’intéressé aux
femmes. Un secrétariat d’Etat, nanti d’une «voix» mais pas de moyens.”
Convention