In the Hauts-de-Seine, as everywhere in France, very few streets bear the name of a woman, whether known or unknown. Nearly 0 to 10% only of the routes are baptized for women in the department.
With just over 1% of streets named after women, or only four lanes, Bagneux is no exception. This is why in recent years, the municipality has sought, not to reverse the trend because that would be mission impossible, but at least to be voluntary on the subject.
Until Thursday February 25, Balneolais can vote on the city’s website to choose the name of the first three streets of the future 16-hectare district of Mathurins, whose first homes will be delivered in 2023. One of these three streets will recall the history of the site, and in particular the 3,000 employees who worked for the Thomson company, the quarries or the fields of culture. The two main paths, including those of the future high school, will highlight committed women.
The inhabitants of more than 15 years only have to choose between Anita Conti, the first French woman oceanographer and activist of the protection of the oceans; Angela Davis, figure of the civil rights movement in the United States; Gisèle Halimi, lawyer, writer, feminist activist and anti-colonialist; Toni Morrison, American writer, first black woman Nobel Prize winner in literature; Simone Veil, former minister behind the adoption of the law authorizing abortion; and finally Marguerite Yourcenar, writer, first woman elected to the French Academy in 1980.
Correct rather than rename
“Our objective is to try to correct this lack and promote the place of women on this occasion because it is always complicated to rename streets. We know that on these questions of equality, we must show ourselves to be inciting and demonstrate political voluntarism, ”explains Marie-Hélène Amiable, mayor (PCF) of Bagneux.
Thus, during previous mandates, streets had been named in the new Victor-Hugo eco-district, namely Sophie-Germain, Assia-Djebar, Jeanne-Moreau streets. The Niki-de-Saint-Phalle alley of the future school of the same name will be voted on at the next municipal council. The future stations for line 4, called Barbara and Lucie-Aubrac, were also chosen by residents of Ile-de-France following a consultation.
“Too bad that we choose women known nationally, while Balneolais defended our freedom, Yvonne Torti was a great resistance deportee”, regrets Isabelle, a resident of Bagneux.
“There is an awareness”
The initiative was nonetheless welcomed by Fatima El Ouasdi, elected in Rueil-Malmaison and president of the Politiqu’elles association: “Restoring visibility to women in the public space is an old and important struggle. There has been an awareness in recent years. It is all the work of elected officials to take advantage of these new neighborhood developments to give names of women because we cannot rename everything. “
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The imperial city also recently named three streets of the name of Rueilloises, which are illustrated in various fields, and a Place Line-Renaud within the framework of the eco-district of Arsenal.
Four years ago, the city of Clichy also seized the opportunity of a new development to baptize a street in the name of Camille-Claudel. The municipality of Rémi Muzeau (DVD) had again changed the name of Avenue Pierre-Curie to Marie-et-Pierre-Curie.
Marie Curie is also one of the most popular female names in the streets of Hauts-de-Seine, along with Joan of Arc and the writer George Sand. Like Ville-d’Avray, one of the four towns in the department with Garches, Marnes-la-Coquette and Vaucresson, which has only one lane. Said street is called Jeanne-d’Arc.
Other cities, like Chaville, would have only one female path if we did not add the saints, Mary or others. With 10% of female routes, Colombes holds the upper hand thanks to numerous avenues with the first names of unknown women.
The results of the vote in Bagneux will be announced on March 8. The names, which will not have arrived at the head, can be retained for the names of streets to come.
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