Ni putes Ni soumises
...Since the beginning of February, the movement has staged demonstrations across France to highlight their plight. It arrives in Paris Saturday, coinciding with International Women's Day.

"Until now, nobody's really been talking about what's been happening in these suburbs," said Sarah Benichou, secretary general of the Paris-based group SOS Racism, which works to eliminate discrimination in the suburbs. "We were always talking about suburbs from a masculine point of view -- as hubs of violence or Islamist extremism. Nobody's been addressing the women, who are victims."

The group's slogan is brutally frank: "Neither whores, nor under submission." Indeed, according to French news reports, that it has frightened off many ethnic immigrants it hopes to enlist.

Its message: A normal French lifestyle, complete with makeup, short skirts and having boyfriends, does not make these women prostitutes. And they will no longer tolerate a stifling, male-dominated culture they say is common in France's impoverished housing projects. more


Time Magazine did a special report on Sisters in Hell in Dec 2002. link

Its quite ironic that all this oppression is happening in the land of liberty, France and none of the dailies I visited so far have any comment/article on the demonstrations. My two cents worth for International Women's day.