Braving the cold, hundreds of schoolboys in the city of Nantes in western France swapped their trousers for skirts Friday as part of an anti-sexism initiative.
French schoolboys wear skirts to fight sexism
A group of male pupils pose in their skirts. © @ BreizhWeCan (Twitter)
Hundreds of male pupils in the city of Nantes in western France ditched their trousers and came to school wearing skirts Friday as part of a campaign against sexism, despite opposition by some conservative groups.
The “Lift the Skirt” initiative, an idea put together by students, saw pupils at 27 schools in the region around Nantes invited to attend school wearing skirts as part of efforts to raise awareness of discrimination and sexism faced by their female classmates. In the photos the girls are also wearing skirts… could be the girls are forced to wear skirts to school in that area by sexist authorities and the boys protest is partly in ironic solidarity.
The initiative has enraged certain conservative groups in France and on Thursday a group from the “Manif pour Tous” (Protest for All) group – which began as a movement against France’s legalisation of gay marriage last year – protested outside the Lycée Clemenceau, sparking a confrontation with students.
A girl holds a placard reading “I struggle against sexism” in front of the Clemenceau high school in Nantes as riot police watch guard. The initiative has sparked criticism and protests from conservative groups in France.
© @ AFP/ Jean-Sebastien Evrard
Police stepped in on Friday to prevent clashes after a confrontation between students and a small group of protesters outside the same school, but AFP reported that calm was quickly restored
Pupils also had the choice of wearing a sticker in support of the campaign, reading: “I am fighting against sexism, are you?” though most seemed to go for the skirt option.
© @ RobeletG Twiter
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