French Minister in Hot Water Over Playboy Cover.
Marlene Schiappa, France's social economy minister, is facing backlash from members of her own party after appearing on the front cover of a men's lifestyle magazine. The 12-page interview featured in the March issue of Playboy saw Schiappa posing in a white dress and discussing women's rights.
Schiappa has been an outspoken advocate for gender equality since being appointed as France's first Gender Equality Minister in 2017. She spearheaded a law allowing on-the-spot fines to be issued to men who catcall or harass women on the street, a move that was widely praised by human rights activists.
However, her appearance in Playboy has drawn criticism from some of her own party members and even the French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who told CNN affiliate BFMTV that Schiappa's cover was "not appropriate" and could be seen as undermining her commitment to women's rights.
French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who came third in the 2022 presidential elections, took aim at both Schiappa's appearance and President Emmanuel Macron's recent interview with children's magazine Pif Gadget. "In a country where the President expresses himself in Pif and his minister in Playboy, the problem would be the opposition," Mélenchon tweeted.
Despite the criticism, Schiappa has defended her actions on social media, saying that defending women's right to control their bodies is an ongoing issue. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin came to Schiappa's defense, calling her a "woman of character" and praising her style.
Marlene Schiappa, France's social economy minister, is facing backlash from members of her own party after appearing on the front cover of a men's lifestyle magazine. The 12-page interview featured in the March issue of Playboy saw Schiappa posing in a white dress and discussing women's rights.
Schiappa has been an outspoken advocate for gender equality since being appointed as France's first Gender Equality Minister in 2017. She spearheaded a law allowing on-the-spot fines to be issued to men who catcall or harass women on the street, a move that was widely praised by human rights activists.
However, her appearance in Playboy has drawn criticism from some of her own party members and even the French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who told CNN affiliate BFMTV that Schiappa's cover was "not appropriate" and could be seen as undermining her commitment to women's rights.
French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who came third in the 2022 presidential elections, took aim at both Schiappa's appearance and President Emmanuel Macron's recent interview with children's magazine Pif Gadget. "In a country where the President expresses himself in Pif and his minister in Playboy, the problem would be the opposition," Mélenchon tweeted.
Despite the criticism, Schiappa has defended her actions on social media, saying that defending women's right to control their bodies is an ongoing issue. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin came to Schiappa's defense, calling her a "woman of character" and praising her style.
, this is like so crazy! 
I'm all for women being able to express themselves and not being shamed for it... but at the same time, isn't that what feminism is all about? 
It's like, Minister Schiappa is literally fighting for women's rights and then gets criticized for looking good in a magazine? 
I feel like she's getting roasted for being human! 
But seriously, it's all about the bigger picture here - women have the right to control their own bodies and make choices that are right for them.
The drama might be real, but at the end of the day, it's all about spreading love and positivity! 
It's like, we get it, you're a strong woman, but do you gotta show off in a bikini too? 
I guess that's just the way the world is now... everyone's always tryna be provocative. 
As for the PM and other politicians ragin' about this, I'm like... what's up with that? Can't they just chill and support a woman who's doin' her thang? 
It's all about choices, right? 
. Guess this is what they mean by "breaking the mold" 
.
i think marlene schiappa is being totally unfairly targeted here... she's already doing so much good for women's rights in france, and then ppl are mad about her posing in a hot mag? 
it just shows how sexist some of these politicians can be. 
and jean-luc mélenchon tweeting that the prez's interview with kids' mag is somehow comparable to schiappa's playboy spread is just low 
. schiappa's all about empowerment, not objectification. let's support her instead of tearing her down 
. and btw, who cares what her party members think? they're just haters 
and every1s gotta talk about it i mean, schiappa's been a vocal advocate for women's rights since 2017 and that law on-the-spot fines for catcalling is still super progressive so what's the deal? is she just trying to humanize herself or somethin'... 
Marlene Schiappa's cover in Playboy 
on women's rights 
but now she's getting roasted 
by her own party members 
. I mean, who doesn't love a strong woman 
.
Elisabeth Borne thinks Schiappa's cover is "not appropriate" 
. She's got a point about women controlling their own bodies 
or something... who knows? 
.
. I don't get why some people are all up in arms about her appearance in Playboy. She's still fightin' for women's rights, you know? 
Like, what's wrong with embracin' your femininity and expressin' yourself? The PM is worried 'bout appearances but he's the one who's been makin' headlines lately 
jean-luc melenchon always talking about revolution, but when someone finally takes action like schiappa does, he's quick to bash her for not fitting his ideal of what a feminist looks like 
. It's like, hello! Women have every right to express themselves and choose how they want to present themselves. And if that means rocking a hot red carpet look or posing for a magazine, then so be it 
let's give schiappa props for being unapologetically herself 
. But on the other hand, you've also got others defending her, like Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who's praising her style and character 
.
for appearing on the cover of Playboy