India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

MPs in France were plunged into a sexism row after newly appointed Minister of Territory Equality and Housing Cecile Duflot was leered at in the Parliament. Duflot had been barraged with wolf-whistles and yells of “Phwoarr” when she stood up in a summery dress and high heels. The 37-year-old minister was subjected to the abuse as she tried to make a speech to the National Assembly in Paris . She began, “Ladies and gentlemen,” then added, “Obviously, more gentlemen than ladies...” but her words were drowned out by the whistles. “I have worked in the building trade and I have never seen anything like that. This tells you something about our MPs. I just think of their wives,” the Sun quoted the minister, a former town planner who once wore jeans to a Cabinet meeting, as saying. Members of the Union for a Popular Movement the party of ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy were widely blamed for this incident. A video of the incident caused outrage, with many saying that it highlighted the shortcomings of the political class. Anger increased when MP Patrick Balkany, a close pal of Sarkozy, said that Duflot had put on the knee-length floral dress “so we wouldn’t listen to what she was saying.” Women’s Rights Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said that sexism had no frontiers and that they should set a better example.

French MPs in sexism row after wolf-whistling at woman minister