Women in solidarity, a fist raised for 80 years

The nationwide feminist association is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. A look back at the history of this pillar of local community life and activism.

Originally known as the Union des femmes françaises or UFF, the association was officially founded on 17 June 1945. In reality, it had its roots in women's resistance groups during the Second World War as early as 1941. At its founding congress, the association honoured Danielle Casanova, who provided the impetus for some of the founding groups of the UFF before dying during deportation. In the years that followed, other figures whose names can be found in Montataire were part of the militant group, such as Irène Joliot-Curie, Nobel Prize in Chemistry and activist, Mathilde Gabriel-Péri, a member of the French Resistance and wife of Gabriel Péri, also a member of the Resistance. Elsa Triolet, a member of the French Resistance and a writer.

The UFF and its struggles evolved in step with social crises in France and around the world: machismo and the sidelining of women in French literature, the campaign for painless childbirth, the war in Vietnam, etc. In 1998, the UFF changed its name to Femmes Solidaires, opening up to all women around the world, and continuing its work through its actions and its presence in the press with Heures Claires and Clara Magazine. Today, Femmes Solidaires supports women who are victims of violence and raises public awareness of sexual mutilation, forced marriages, access to contraception and abortion, and schooling for young girls. More recently, the association has supported the inclusion of the notion of consent in French law.

In Montataire, the image of Femmes Solidaires is inseparable from that of Lucienne Boubonnec and her daughter Frédérique Bulcke, former and current presidents of the local branch respectively. The association works to raise public awareness and has launched a number of initiatives. These include the red bench in Place de la Mairie, a symbol of the fight against feminicide, and the 1000 visages de femmes space, a tribute to victims and activists.

To commemorate 80 years of struggle and progress, a book has been published by Femmes Solidaires and Clara Magazine, «De l'UFF à Femmes solidaires - 80 ans de la vie des femmes». The collective work is made up of articles, press archives and photos tracing the existence of this committed group, which is still as necessary today as it was when it was founded.