Sexism in politics, a phenomenon still firmly rooted

Mathilde Viot, co-founder of the Observatory of sexist and sexual violence in politicsrecounts her experience of the political world and the sexual violence suffered by women there. Author of a book on the subject, she explains tackling “the archetype that is promoted in the political world. This archetype meets three criteria to be valued as an influential political personality: you have to be a man, in general. Very often you have to be bourgeois and most of the time you have to be a white person“, she explains, explaining that people who do not meet these criteria are generally ousted.

On the issue of sexism in politics, Mathilde Viot recounts having observed that a solidarity between men is formed, “which can also be inter-partisan, when a man is attacked. For example, we have seen […] when Nicolas Hulot was implicated. All the men of the political class, all parties combined, have stepped up to the plate for his defense“. Mechanisms that she wishes to question and undermine.