The Franco-British icon leaves behind her an image of a talented artist, but also of a woman committed on several fronts, such as the right to abortion or the reception of undocumented migrants.
Music, cinema, fashion… Jane Birkin, who died on Sunday July 16 at the age of 76, left behind a considerable legacy. An artistic legacy, but not only. The icon was also known for her political commitments. Franceinfo looks back on some of the fights led by the singer and actress until the last years of her life.
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1The fight for human rights
The artist led a fierce fight against the death penalty. “When I arrived in France and I met Serge [Gainsbourg], he thought it was very unpopular to go and march against the death penalty, like I did. I was with [Robert] Badinter and all the others on this great march which was historic”told Jane Birkin at the microphone of France Culture.
The star has also supported defenders of freedom of expression, as the secretary general of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Christophe Deloire, points out on Twitter: “Great sadness. Jane Birkin was a friend of @RSF_inter. The artist mobilized with us for Chinese journalists and Burmese reporters.”
More generally, it was for peace that Jane Birkin invested herself. In particular, she demonstrated in support of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese opponent and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and denounced the war in Syria and its leader, Bashar Al-Assad, in 2013.
2Support for the right to abortion
In 1972, Jane Birkin participated in a demonstration in front of the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Bobigny, to support four women tried for having helped high school student Marie-Claire Chevalier to have an illegal abortion after being the victim of rape.
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A commitment welcomed by Jacky Mamou, former president of Doctors of the World, with franceinfo. “When it came to defending civilian populations and women’s rights, especially the right to abortion, she was there”he recalls, referring to a woman “very empathetic with people”, “very engaged” And “highly respected”.
3Reception of undocumented migrants
The singer has demonstrated on several occasions for the reception of exiles. “I mobilized throughout the year alongside undocumented migrants, at the call of Josiane Balasko, who does a wonderful job. I am very committed to civic life“she said in 2010 in an interview with Humanity. Jane Birkin had notably protested against government policy that year. She had not hesitated to chant, under the windows of the Ministry of Immigration, a song written by Serge Gainsbourg.
“I was privileged by the welcome I had in France and that’s why I would like to convince people that everything is in the welcomeshe explained to France Culture. I was accepted maybe because I was pretty and English and it’s infinitely easier than if I came from North Africa.”
4Nature protection
In recent years, the artist has taken a stand for respect for animals and the planet. In 2015, Jane Birkin asked Hermès to “to rebrand the ‘Birkin Croco’, until best practices meeting international standards can be put in place for the manufacture of this bag”, one of the most expensive in the world. In particular, she denounced “cruel practices reserved for crocodiles during their slaughter”.
More recently, the actress had signed a platform in The world calling on the government to pursue a more ambitious policy in its fight for the climate.