French feminists say 'au revoir' to mademoiselle
| Paris
鈥� A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.
Few words say 鈥淔rench鈥� more than 鈥渕ademoiselle.鈥� The French title for a young or unmarried woman trips off the tongue like accordion music by the Seine. But feminists have tried to shelve it for 40 years: The word鈥檚 etymology ties to 鈥渨hite goose鈥� or a naive or silly girl, they note; its usage forces women to declare a status. Americans modernized 鈥淢iss鈥� to 鈥淢s.鈥� Germans made 鈥渇raulein鈥� kaput. The Spanish spiked 鈥渟e帽orita.鈥� But 鈥渕ademoiselle鈥� floats languidly on.
On the heels of the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal, feminists are taking another shot. Their goal: Banish the check box for mademoiselle on state and corporate paperwork.
Paris groups Dare Feminism and Watchdogs launched a campaign Sept. 27 that includes a 鈥渒it.鈥� A form letter is ready to send to whomever it may concern: 鈥淚 would be very grateful if you would cease to employ the civil title 鈥楳ademoiselle鈥� as well as 鈥榤aiden name鈥� or 鈥榮pouse name鈥� in any documents or letters addressed to me.鈥� In Paris most women have heard of the issue, and it is getting plenty of attention on social networks. But habits die hard. Older female celebrities such as Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve insist on mademoiselle. If the check box were eliminated that would be fine, most women said. If not, no big deal. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 mind mademoiselle,鈥� said Teresa, who is married. 鈥淲hen people use it I feel younger.鈥� Agnes, unmarried and older, called the term 鈥渘ot pejorative; it鈥檚 nice.鈥�
Marie Noelle Bas of Watchdogs says the campaign is working. A poll in Marie Claire has 72 percent ready to nix the check box.
