De l’exclusion à la discrimination

Democracy was constructed with keeping women back: there is no systematic statement excluding them, yet for a long time democracy was held to be applicable only to men. It did not exclude, but it was "exclusive": "Neither citizens nor workers "precious half of the Republic" as Rousseau says – such was the dream of the democratic man with regard to women." Geneviève Fraisse reviews the long journey from 1830 to current times that led to the progressive inclusion of women in the democratic system. From their integration into the democratic "whole" was born the process of discrimination against women, a process that consists of separating while judging, and also the fact that there are two democratic governments, the domestic one and the political one. The philosopher emphasizes how Europe was a driving force with respect to equality between the sexes, the fight against discrimination and the potential contradictions inherent in policies based on gender mainstreaming – although such contradictions cannot, she feels, be avoided. Her views go beyond an identity-based approach, and are situated on the side of praxis in such a way as to formulate the problems centred on the history of equality and women's liberation.