Gender equality advocate faces flack over 'inappropriate' display
Marlene Schiappa, a French government minister and long-time advocate for women's rights, has sparked controversy after appearing on the cover of Playboy magazine.
Schiappa, who has been a minister since 2017 and currently serves as the Minister for the Social Economy and French Associations, was photographed for the cover wearing a white dress. The cover accompanied a 12-page interview in which she discussed women's and LGBT rights.
Défendre le droit des femmes à disposer de leurs corps, c’est partout et tout le temps.
— 🇫🇷 MarleneSchiappa (@MarleneSchiappa) April 1, 2023
En France, les femmes sont libres.
N’en déplaise aux rétrogrades et aux hypocrites.#Playboy
("Defending women's right to control their bodies is everywhere and at all times. In France, women are free. Despite what retrogrades and hypocrites may say.")
While Schiappa has been widely praised for her work on gender equality, her appearance on the cover of the magazine has drawn criticism from political colleagues, including French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. According to a source close to the prime minister, Borne told Schiappa that the cover "wasn't appropriate, especially during this period."
Borne's criticism of Minister Marlene Schiappa's cover appearance has been echoed by Green MP Sandrine Rousseau. Rousseau, a fellow women's rights activist, questioned the timing of Schiappa's move, stating that while she did not have a problem with women's bodies being exposed anywhere, there is a social context to consider.
Schiappa's Playboy cover accompanies a 12-page interview in which she discusses women's and LGBT rights, as well as abortion. The move has drawn criticism from political colleagues who argue that it is inappropriate, particularly given the current climate.
Schiappa is best known for spearheading a new sexual harassment law in France that allows for on-the-spot fines to be issued to men who catcall, harass, or follow women on the street. Despite the controversy surrounding her Playboy appearance, Schiappa says she remains committed to her work on gender equality and continues to advocate for women's rights in France.
