The traditional selection of a May Day Queen evolved into the beauty pageants that we’re all familiar with. In 2019, France's High Council for gender equality (HCE), a consultative body responsible for advising the government, qualified the Miss France contest as an “ archaic caricature”.It is a centuries-old tradition for communities to pick a pretty girl to be the “queen” of their seasonal festivals. The plaintiffs point to a judgement in 2013 when a former contestant on Mister France sued for similar reasons. The case, filed at a labour court in the Paris suburb of Bobigny, will therefore hinge on whether magistrates recognise Miss France contestants as employed by the organisers and TV company – in which case there is a case for breach of the labour code – or whether they are considered volunteers.Ĭontestants do not sign an employment contract as such, but they do carry out activities for which they receive gifts. The French labour code forbids companies from discriminating on the basis of “morals, age, family status or physical appearance,” Violaine De Filippis-Abate, a lawyer for Osez le féminisme told RMC radio.

The three plaintiffs, who have not been named, told Le Monde they had been forced to withdraw from the pageant because they smoke in public, are not tall enough and have been photographed nude. Miss Guadeloupe disqualified from competition due to topless charity photos The plaintiffs argue that the companies oblige candidates to bend to restrictions, even outside of rehearsals or recordings, which are in breach of French labour law.Īspiring beauty queens must abstain from drinking alcohol or taking illicit substances in public and in general behave in a way that is 'not contrary to morals, public order or the spirit of a pageant based on values of elegance'.Ĭandidates are also required to be more than 1.70 metres tall, single, and 'representative of beauty” – meaning for example no tatoos or body piercings.įailure to satisfy these standards means they can be disqualified. En lutte depuis plusieurs années contre ce spectacle rétrograde et sexiste, incarnation même de la femme-objet, nous attaquons l'émission Miss France en justice pour faire appliquer le droit du travail !Īction : utilisez le #PasTaMiss pour lutter contre l'émission ! /adqSukAXmb- Osez le féminisme ! Octo'Representative of beauty'

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