Women take to the streets!

Board #1

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Women gather, they march, demonstrate, protest and contest. Humour and gravity, passion and joy combine in their voices. Women take to the streets! They can be seen and heard. One could even say they were feminists before the word was coined. They demand equality, but they also fight oppressions and any form of domination. Shopkeepers, workers, writers, teachers, artists and housewives, they all participate in their emancipation. They take to the streets, sit in on main squares, hand out pamphlets and lead actions. They build networks and connections.

 

They show their inventiveness in their slogans. They forge a balance between their feminist heritage and novelty in them. Taking to the streets is already a subversion but it is twice as such for women, especially if they call themselves feminists. They march against sexism, for their rights, bodily autonomy and dignity, thus showing what silence buried. They say these words, sometimes even shout them, to break out of invisibility. Taking to the streets means asserting freedom, trust and hope. Yes, women take to the streets! This exhibition shows it — it gives a voice to their power, their fights and their vivid imagination.

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Board #2​

1789-1871

Revolution!!

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1789-1871: Revolutions!

1789: the French Revolution is a meaningful and monumental period during which women transform the streets into spaces of activism. On 5 and 6 October 1789, thousands of women march from Paris towards Versailles and demand that the King move to the capital. This event is crucial, as it shows how women radically change the course of political life thanks to their public actions. Several marches mark the Revolution during which many women, often coming from popular backgrounds, take to the streets. It is there that they address major social challenges:  the issue of subsistence and other claims to citizens’ rights All their actions — riots, forced taxation, and the redistribution of goods — are at the same time a way of surviving and revolting. Through their powerful presence in the public sphere, these women assert their rights and freedom.

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1830, On the barricades, or the “July Revolution” 

During the “July Revolution”, which takes place on 27, 28 and 29 July 1830 (Les Trois Glorieuses, “The Three Glorious Days”), women take part in the overthrow of King Charles X. They take care of the injured, they build barricades and sometimes they even fight, facing the violence of those revolutionary days. Later on, in cities like Lille or Lyon women participate in workers’ uprisings. During the later Revolution of 1848, known as the Springtime of Nations, women, once again, rise in arms in Paris and fight for freedom and democracy. Yet, despite their bravery, citizenship is still denied to them.

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Board #3

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Long live the Commune! 

“Are you going to shoot your mothers? Are you going to shoot your brothers?”

On 18 March 1871, in the streets of Montmartre, women march towards the troops of the Versailles Government sent by President Adolphe Thiers. They change history with their bravery: soldiers yield and the popular revolution known as the Commune of Paris spreads to cities all over the country. Working-class women found circles, trade union societies and cooperatives. Their new form of workers’ self-government is revolutionary in itself. They participate in debates, tend to demonstrators, resupply and fight on the barricades. They protest, especially on 3 April 1871, a symbolic day for the Commune with numerous battles all over Paris. A lot of them die on the barricades during the Semaine Sanglante (“Bloody Week”), or suffer from the following and terrible defeat.  

 

The Commune is not dead! 

The memory of the Commune resurfaces periodically, like a ghost. Whether it is the organisation of labour liberated from capital, an emancipatory school system, a shared form of art, or the fight for women’s rights, the Paris Commune is still inspiring. It stands as a symbol of transmission of values across generations: in protest marches, its vivid references appear on banners and signs. Louise Michel remains its major figure, standing for the countless women who took part in this movement.

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​: 1880

Board #4​

1880-1936

Towards social justice and citizenship​

 

The fight for citizenship 

Standing for liberty, Marianne in Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People” waves her flag; yet, women remain without rights. Inspired by struggles all over the world, especially the marches led by the Suffragettes’ movement, feminist activists fight for civil rights and for equality. In spite of the general opposition and the bans they face, they take the streets to demand their voting rights — they hold rallies, but also organise token votes and protests that, albeit cautious, defy the status quo. 

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Post-war tenacity 

“French women want to vote, but the Senate does not want them to!” Indeed, the upper chamber systematically refuses women the right to vote. After the Great War, feminists become bolder in their occupation of the streets. Gatherings spread and are often repressed, which leads to numerous detentions. Some of these feminist activists drive through the country, hats and banners blowing in the wind, running an ongoing and joyful propaganda campaign. To get women’s voices heard, they turn their inventiveness into a weapon.

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Board #5​

1936-1968

Fight & Resist

 

Women’s strikes ​

Silk workers from Lyon weavers, women working in arms factories or in sardine canneries, shop assistants… Women go on strikes for equal pay, better working conditions and social rights. They lead the protests in those instances where self-organisation prevails, they lead the protests, opening a breach and helping to shake the establishment. These strikes seem particularly subversive as they shatter traditional gender roles, especially during the war. 

 

The Popular Front 

They raise their fists and wear the Phrygian cap. Their chants are a mix of “La Marseillaise” and “L’Internationale”. Processions of workers, employees and housekeepers take to the streets. Sometimes, they brandish symbols of their jobs: for example, cleaning ladies come with their brooms. The strike starts and everything else stops. The Popular Front highlights the role of women in past and contemporary major social movements. During these events, powerful, anti-fascist gestures are created. However, feminist claims are still not met: in spite of their highly determined mobilisations, they have yet to become citizens. 

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Board #6

 

During the war

War does not seem to be compatible with the streets being taken and protests in broad daylight. However, in defiance of the occupation and the authorities, many women organise themselves and gather in different cities and all over the country to protest against the cost of living and food shortages. Among these acts of resistance, there are also labour strikes, especially the miners, whose spouses, sisters and mothers support by protesting. Some of them paid for it with their lives, executed by Nazis.

 

Freedom!

Women protesting in the streets are also those who set up barricades on the day of the Libération and who engage in the final battles, which may seem rather unexpected. Once again, women occupy a space we do not expect them to, marching in the liberated cities. Lucie Aubrac talks about these women; walking with dignity in the triumph of their restored freedom during the marches of summer 1944: “Now that the entire country is a large battlefield, French women take up the torch of the Résistance.”

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Board #7​

1968-1995

Struggles on all fronts

 

Remember the 8 March. 

The origins of 8 March are somehow mythical and shrouded in mystery. For a long time, the French Communist Party and the General Confederation of Labour (Confédération Générale du Travail, CGT) have referred to 8 March 1857 as the date of a national US workers’ strike which never actually took place. Before the First World War, the idea of an international women’s fight had been largely spread by the German revolutionary Clara Zetkin. The Petrograd women’s march of 8 March 1917, was the starting point of the revolution that overthrew the tsar. Since the 1950s, the French Communist Party has striven to reconnect with this story in the celebration of “International Women’s Day”. Hence, 8 March eventually became an international day to celebrate women and, most importantly, to defend their rights and dignity.

 

During the Algerian War 

The wars of decolonisation led to movements, which remain little-known to this day. On 17 October 1961, Algerian women protest and are subjected to a deadly repression. Some of them return to the streets to demand the truth about the people missing.  On 8 February 1962, several women are among the victims of what became known as the massacre at the Charonne metro station.

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Board #8

 

“The merry month of May”

Not only are they protesting, but they also are in charge of security during the protests: this is completely unheard of. They gather in the streets, during improvised sit-ins. They give speeches on the squares and sing in front of the occupied factories and stores. During May and June 1968, women are at the core of the general strike. But they are also aware of its contradictions, because the movement is not entirely free from male authority, something they will forcefully denounce later on.

 

The MLF’s years

From the 1970s onwards, feminism expands: it becomes subversive and inventive. It combines battles for equality with support for revolutions. Women take to the streets to claim new rights, including the right to own their bodies. The “Women’s Liberation Movement” (Mouvement de libération des femmes, MLF) breaks new ground between voluntary single-sex groups, seriousness of topics and collective cheerfulness. The movement pays off, the Veil Act (Loi Veil) being its main achievement.

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Board #9

 

Warding off fear

Since the 1970s, feminist night walks enable women to ward off fear of rape and violence of all kinds. They multiply all around the country, and women are led by this powerful and simple wish: “We want to go out at night without risks and without male protectors.” These protests are mostly reserved for women, a fact that marks their determination to take to the streets with their heads held high and usually singing — women demand to regain their bodies and their place in the public space where women are often harassed, humiliated and assaulted.

 

Organisation

On 8 March 1980, the Organisation of Black Women (or Coordination des Femmes Noires) march and sing proudly. Their claim: women who are victims of acts of racism and sexism should be seen and given legal assistance. In a wave of solidarity, their powerful voices break boundaries and demand equality. The same goes for Algerian women, who constitute a good part of the mobilisation. In 1988, nurses go on strike. They march for better work conditions and choose a new form of action: through a national organisation, independent from the trade unions, they join forces and acquire a more incisive voice in the eyes of the government. What these movements have in common is the strength of self-organisation, a perfect example of women’s autonomy in their fight for rights and of their democratic inventiveness.

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Board #10​

2000-today

We won't give up! Contemporary movements 

 

Social movements 

Intersectional movements shed a light on the struggles of women from minority ethnic groups, from the LGBTQIA+ community and from working-class backgrounds. The Rosies, heirs to Rosie la Riveteuse (“Rosie the Riveter”), combine humour and combativeness: dressed in blue overalls and red headscarves, they sing and dance to celebrate unity and to fight inequalities. The maids of the Ibis Batignolles and other hotels were on strike for months and embody the relentless fight of these workers, whose jobs are among the most precarious ones. Moreover, as part of the Yellow vests’ movement (Les Gilets jaunes), during a powerful popular uprising, women often lead the march.

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Board #11

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Women united against violence

From 2017 onwards, the #MeToo movement grows considerably, encouraging millions of women to share their experiences of harassment and assault. These massive protests led to global awareness of gender-based violence. Marches for women’s rights ‒ such as the Women’s March in the United States ‒ bring together millions of participants, who advocate for equal pay and abortion rights, but also denounce the violence against women and gender minorities. Words are coined to describe these forms of violence, especially the term “femicide”, and people discuss how to resist these forms of violence.

 

The Intersection of Oppressions 

Nous toutes, Nous aussi (“All of us women”, “Us too”)… These are some of the French feminist associations that strongly advocate for intersectionality from the beginning of the 21st century onwards. This branch of feminism is driven by a commitment to recognise all forms of discrimination and to fight every type of oppression. Class domination, sexist alienation, systemic racism, lesbophobia, transphobia, ableism, ageism: we’re all fighting the same battle! The intersection of struggles sharpens awareness and active solidarity. Yet, divisions inevitably persist within the diverse and layered, sometimes even opposed forms of feminism, on topics such as prostitution, the hijab, or transgender identity.

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Board #13 - thematic focus

 

Suffragettes’ great momentum 

They may be inspiring, but their violence is also baffling to some - although this supposed “violence” does not put any other life in danger but their own. English suffragettes take action and organise impressive protests. In 1908, 500 000 people converge on Hyde Park and march brandishing the symbolic colours: Green White Violet – “Give Women Votes”. In the United States, the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 also marks a turning point: claiming the right to vote becomes the emblem of equality. Spectacular marches in Washington D.C strengthen the movement that finally leads to the adoption of the 19th amendment in 1920. 

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Board #14 - thematic focus

 

World Marches

Internationalism is a long-standing claim of feminism, and more than ever, a guiding principle. Starting with the World March of Women in 2000, this section of the exhibition shows how feminism has become increasingly active. In 2011, during the “Slut Walk” in Toronto, women claim the right to dress as they want. In many countries such as Poland and Argentina, where the right to abortion is threatened, protests take place to defend reproductive rights. After the death of Mahsa Amini, crowds in Iran and around the world shout: “Women, Life, Freedom” in a great surge of international solidarity. 

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Board #15 - thematic focus

 

Bodies and sex 

Bodies and sexuality are at the core of feminist fights because they affect freedom, equality and independence, along with the emancipation of women and gender minorities. The objectification of the female body, the control of women’s sexual and reproductive choices, as well as the awareness of gender-based violence reveal systemic inequalities. By laying claim to the right to have control over their own bodies and to express their sexuality without being judged, feminists call into question patriarchal norms which restrain their agency and their dignity. During these protests, they express their joy in their campaign for freedom through their happiness, as shown by these examples chosen among some 300 objects – placards, banners, tee-shirts, pussy hats and pañuelos… – gathered thanks to the feminist fund-raising started by the AFéMuse.

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Board #16 - thematic focus

 

Bold as brass… 

Feminist banners and posters play an essential part in spreading messages of resistance and emancipation. Through their creativity full of transgressive – if not provocative – humour they attract everyone’s attention, invite people to reflect upon these issues, transform their ideas into symbols and encourage others to take action. By doing so, they often respond to widespread sexist advertisements. Thanks to powerful slogans and bold visuals, which blend humour and earnestness, these posters become mobilisation tools that reinforce feminist struggles in the public space. As their chants make it clear, these women are radical, and they are angry. When it comes to their rights, “better than nothing is not enough”.