A French feminist group has declared war on postcards that feature half-naked women, which they consider “degrading” and contributing to a “culture of rape.”
The Femmes Solidaires have claimed that postcards, which they say are “sexist and sometimes pornographic,” portray women as an “object that can be consumed and thrown away under the pretext of leisure and entertainment.”
While on their crusade to ban the cards, the group took to Twitter to encourage its 30,000 members and other supporters to look out for “sexist” postcards and report where they are being sold.
TWEET: “The postcards are also being sold in Arcachon. Say stop along with @Femmessolidaire.”
Some of the most popular postcards depict women from behind wearing bikinis, with the caption “Big Kisses From Roussillon,” while another card features a female cyclist in a thong.
While the feminists have claimed that the postcards “contribute to a culture of rape that imposes a degrading image of women and helps to legitimize and normalize violence against women,” their initiative to ban the cards seems to not have found support on social media.
The majority of Twitter users didn’t endorse the idea, with some suggesting that the “hysteria” around the postcards allegedly nourishing a “culture of rape” must be stopped…
TWEET: «We need to stop the hysteria there! Women who pose for these kind of ads or others are not poor girls who need you, they decided to make these pictures, you are not to impose your views on anyone, especially not on other women.”
TWEET: “If a sexy card is a problem for you, it’s all about you, you have to be twisted to see a ‘rape culture’.”
Some said the members of the group should find something else to do rather than launching a campaign that “no one cares about”:
TWEET: “Get a life.”
TWEET: “Stop a culture of people who do not know what to do with their lives and fill this void by embarking on ridiculous fights that no one cares about. Give them a gameboy or anything to keep them occupied.”
TWEET: “Thank you for posting these postcards, which I would have never seen even if I went to a gift shop, every day. That’s a good job girls!”
Others suggested that it’s the Femmes Solidaires group that needed to be “banned” rather than the postcards:
TWEET: “Yes, I’m for the ban of the Femmes Solidaires.”
TWEET: “Yes, we need to prohibit this group.”
The feminist campaign against “sexist” postcards came shortly after the French parliament adopted a legislation outlawing sexual violence and harassment in public, envisaging on-the-spot fines of up to 750 euros (about $870) for perpetrators.
The bill was passed just days after a young French woman was slapped in public when she responded to lewd noises, comments and whistles from a passer-by. The incident sparked a nationwide outcry, with French Equalities Minister Marlene Schiappa calling for a stronger political response to street harassment.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
