Women and Activism: Making History in French Politics from Hubertine Auclert to Élisabeth Borne

Commitment, engagement, persistence, defiance, enlightenment, crusade–all characteristics, to be found in women whose activism has paved the way for the progress in politics in the French and Francophone context over two centuries. Concentrating on political activism and its gendered implications, this study will assess the extent to which women’s activism in the French context has conditioned women’s position in society, influencing perceptions of gendered roles. Focusing on French women in politics, it will demonstrate that, for them such engagement is itself a crucial form of activism, a commitment going beyond that of their male counterparts, illustrated in political, electoral events in France. It will examine contributions to politics and women’s involvement in public life via such figures as Hubertine Auclert, and, more recently, Élisabeth Borne, Valérie Pécresse alongside, in particular, Marine Le Pen.