ABSTRACT
Feminists have been active throughout the Fifth Republic, although their ideology and practice have varied considerably during this period. After a lull in the 1950s, French feminism was reactivated during the 1960s, which saw a radicalisation in some women’s groups and associations. During the 1970s, a specific manifestation of French feminism, the Mouvement de libération des femmes (MLF) became dominant, although other forms of feminism existed alongside it. These continued their activities after the MLF had disappeared in the early 1980s, and other forms of feminist activity had emerged. The frequent representation, especially by the media, of feminism as synonymous with the MLF obscures the diversity of feminist politics in France. Feminist politics is theory and practice which aims to change the power relations between men and women. It includes attempts to achieve equality between men and women, to improve the status of women, and to fight against their systematic oppression by men. A wide variety of strategies can be used to achieve these aims.
