Three contestants from a past beauty pageant have joined a feminist organization that is suing Miss France for allegedly discriminating against them because of their appearance. The three women are members of the “Osez le feminism” (Dare to be a Feminist) group, which they joined and made clear that their lawsuit would also focus on Endemol Production and TF1, the show’s annual television presentation on the channel.
The three former contestants were unsuccessful. They subsequently got involved with the feminist group in order to file a complaint against Miss France, since their prior methods of expressing themselves had proved insufficient. The lawsuit claims that Miss France is in violation of French labor laws by requiring beauty queens to be single, at least 5-feet 5.5-inches tall, and a “beauty representative.” Women who want to take part in the beauty contest must have no body piercings anywhere on their bodies, but are under no obligation to lose weight or alter their hairstyles.
In the past, individuals were eliminated from beauty pageants for doing anything judged to be improper “contrary to good morals, to public order or the spirit of the contest, which is based on the values of elegance.”
Employers in France are not permitted to discriminate on the basis of “morals, age, family status or physical appearance,” according to Violaine De Filippis-Abate, a lawyer for Osez le feminisme. The beauty pageant is rife with examples of discrimination on all of those criteria and more.
If magistrates determine that the beauty pageant and the television company are employers, the lawsuit may be successful. If they are deemed employers, they will be in direct violation of French labor regulations. They may be able to continue doing what they’re doing if the beauty contest isn’t considered employment.
Contestants are not required to sign a contract. The plaintiffs in the case, on the other hand, discovered support for their allegations in 2013, when a prior competitor filed a claim alleging they had been subjected to similar mistreatment by the French beauty pageant.
This year, Miss France turned one hundred years old. The beauty pageant is outdated and a relic of a bygone era in French history, according to critics. Nonetheless, the beauty pageant is still a popular television event in France. In December, millions of people watch TV channel TF1 to see the conclusion of the national selection to choose the winner.
“For all our protests every year against this vehicle for sexist values, nothing changes,” stated the head of the Dare to be Feminist group, Alyssa Ahrabare. “We have decided to use the law to advance the cause of women.”
Meanwhile, Miss France claims that it has evolved from its sexist history – albeit contestants are still expected to show up on stage in bikinis and ballgowns.
Calls to the Miss France organization went unanswered. It is currently led by 2002 winner Sylvie Tellier (pictured above), who claimed that the contest supports women’s rights.
“You can parade in a swimsuit and be a feminist. We are no longer in the days of ‘look beautiful and shut up,’” Tellier stated.
The remaining three contestants in this case have not been named.
