Ni Putes ni Soumises: A Republican Feminism from the Quartiers Sensibles

Abstract

This article examines the activist movement Ni Putes Ni Soumises (NPNS), whose féminisme d'urgence offers a powerful reformist voice which articulates contemporary feminism with traditional Republicanism. NPNS map the quartiers sensibles as male-dominated spaces which have deteriorated since the 1980s. They do so because they campaign against the abuse of women, mainly sexual violence. We examine their claims, and rely on the few statistics available. We then outline the key ideas which inform NPNS's strategies of resistance to sexual abuse: thus, a second section focuses on victim support. Thirdly, we discuss NPNS's interventions in schools. These preventative measures nurture core values of French citizenship while stressing the need for the sexes to learn to respect each other and live together in harmony (mixité). We also examine NPNS's contentious stance on the voile musulman and laïcité. We note that the radicalism of NPNS reveals paradoxical tensions (in particular with regard to laïcité ) which are at the core of French politics, and is open to accusations of instrumentalisation.