Seventeen former French ministers vowed on Sunday to “systematically denounce” sexual harassment, days after an investigation was opened into multiple claims against a former deputy parliamentary spea
Seventeen former French ministers vowed on Sunday to “systematically denounce” sexual harassment, days after an investigation was opened into multiple claims against a former deputy parliamentary speaker.
“We will no longer keep quiet” the former ministers, all women, including currenat IMF chief Christine Lagarde, former health minister Roselyne Bachelot and former housing minister Cecile Duflot said in a statement published by the Journal du Dimanche weekly paper.
They promised to “systematically denounce all sexist, remarks, inappropriate gestures, inappropriate behaviour”.
Their cross-party stand comes after French judges on Tuesday opened an investigation into multiple claims of sexual harassment against former deputy parliamentary speaker Denis Baupin, a move which experts welcomed as an end to the “omerta” around alleged abuse by politicians.
Mr Baupin, 53, vigorously denied the claims and has instructed his lawyers to sue two French media outlets for defamation, calling the allegations “mendacious”.
The same day, finance minister Michel Sapin became ensnared in a sexual harassment scandal after admitting that he acted “inappropriately” towards a female journalist after twice denying any improper conduct.
Mr Sapin admitted late Tuesday of “making a comment” while placing his hand on the woman’s back at a conference early in 2015 — following two previous denials of a claim that he had tweaked her knicker elastic.
The ex-ministers in their joint comment Sunday said: “Like all women who have entered into previously exclusively male environments, we have had to either submit to or fight against sexism.”
“It’s not for women to adapt to these environments. It’s the behaviour of certain men that need to change,” they added.
