A quiet revolution is taking place in France: no blood has been spilled or government overthrown, reports The Guardian.
It's a revolution in the role of women in local politics. For the first time, the battle to be the next mayor of Paris is shaping up to be an exclusively female affair.
As things stand, the 2014 mayoral election will be fought by four women. The first female to announce her ambitions for office was Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, 39, considered the Boris Johnson of the group, an ambitious right-winger who enjoys the spotlight.
She is joined in the race by Anne Hidalgo, 53, a socialist and close friend of the current mayor Bertrand Delanoë. The third in the contest is Rachida Dati, 47, the former justice minister dubbed Nicholas Sarkozy's right-hand woman, while the final candidate is Cecilé Duflot, 37, the Europe Ecology-Green party housing minister in the socialist-led coalition government.
The list of candidates represents an important shift for a country known for sexist politics. In an attempt to tackle the problem, a law was passed in 2000 requiring all parties to ensure that 50% of candidates in any election are women, or face financial penalties. This was considered a step forward. Yet Philippe Marlière, professor of French and European politics at University College London, says the law has been side-stepped by some parties that "would rather be fined than nominate a woman".
The all-female mayoral race could lead to greater female representation in French government, since the position of Parisian mayor is seen as a springboard to presidency in France. Progress in this area has also highlighted how slow change is for French local government: an all-female election is still rare. Marlière says that the core difference in an all-women race is that there will be no temptation from male commentators to ask: is the female candidate fit for the job?
Some commentators claim it is unlikely that the refreshing experience across the channel could be repeated in mayoral elections in the UK's major cities. "We don't have any leading female politicians. If you look at French politicians they are a publicity man's dream," says Gino Raymond, professor of French at Bristol University. "Again, you could say this reflects the sexism in French society, but you simply don't find French female politicians who don't look good and dress impeccably."
Read more of this report from The Guardian.