‘Miss’ banned in France, called discriminatory to women
Making love often slows aging and improves health. French sex symbol Brigitte Bardot rehearses a scene of the film ‘Les femmes’ directed by Jean Aurel on April 1969 in Italy.
Au revoir, mademoiselle.
The term "Miss" was officially banned in France today. The office of French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said it would be struck from government documents, along with the terms "maiden name" and "married name" for women, Agence France-Presse reported.
Women's groups last year launched a campaign against the use of "Miss" in official documents, arguing it was demeaning and discriminatory to force women to reveal their marital status, Agence France-Presse reported.
Instead, the honorific "madame" will be used for all women, equivalent to "monsieur" for males.
Roselyne Bachelot, France's minister responsible for women's rights, said the move "ends a form of discrimination."
More from GlobalPost: France's "mademoiselle" war
GlobalPost reported on the linguistic brouhaha last year, noting that "mademoiselle" is used for young or unmarried women, and "madame" for married women, the same as Mrs. in English.
"But 'madame' can apply more broadly — to women of a certain age or status, or to women who have passed the peak of youth and fertility, whether or not they are wedded," GlobalPost reported.
"The terms, in other words, are short on clarity and long on sexist social freight."
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