Position of Women in France.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 4, 26 January 1910, Page 63

Position of Women in France.

The gallantry of Frenchmen is proverbial; but it will come as a shock to most of us to hear that as soon as the result of an examination held last month in Paris for visiting doctors to the Par's hospitals was announced, and Mdlle. Romme headed all her male competitors, her ungallant rivals commenced shouting, “Down with the examiners!” "Down with all women!” and raised what is known as a “chahut” against their woman conqueror. If this manifestation was against woman’s progress, it was certainly most unjustified. In France a woman is treated with very scant favour by the law. She is, in fact, little better than a slave according to the Code Napoleon. When she is married she cannot spend a penny of. her own money without her husband’s signature, which is also necessary for every act in everyday life. She cannot even deposit money in a bank alone, tend a Turkish princess who tried to do this lately was constrained to remark, “Is this what you call liberty in France? We are better off in Turkey.” Vntiil quite recently a woman had not even the right to spend her own earnings, and her drunken husband could take them away from her and her children .without her having any redress. Nevertheless, the Frenchwoman has been steadily fighting her uphill battle, never claiming a privilege till she has proved her capacity for not abusing it. In this way women are admitted as witnesses to all notarial acts; they have votes for electing Consular Judges and seats at the Councils of the Prud’hoimnes, and they are already becoming numerous as advocates at the bar and practising as physicians. This is the first time that a woman has headed the list in the examination for visting hospital doctors, but not long ago a Mdlle. Monod passed first as house physician at Lyons, and there are many women now installed in the hospitals, both as “internes” and “externes.”