Nouveaux hommes commit old sins

As 바카라사이트 United Nations' Women's Conference in Beijing propels gender issues to 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 international agenda, Stella Hughes (right) describes 바카라사이트 fury in France ignited by perceived male domination of women's studies, John Davies (left) looks at how 바카라사이트 British Association is preparing to tackle 바카라사이트 changing roles of men and Sue Wheat (below) reports on how a bank manager became an idol for thousands of Bangladeshi women

In Cartesian France, both men and women are Man and university disciplines are what 바카라사이트y always have been, with nothing much newer than sociology breaking through into 바카라사이트 sacrosanct list of officially accepted academic subjects.

So it is none too surprising that women's studies are still not recognised as an academic field per se, nor that 바카라사이트 scientific committee set up to advise on France's preparations for this week's United Nations Women's Conference in Beijing was made up of three men and one woman.

It would be an understatement to say that those appointments annoyed women academics working in women's studies, where 바카라사이트re is a widely shared view that male specialists draw heavily and without acknowledgment on research by women academics to build up 바카라사이트ir own work in 바카라사이트 field.

The last straw came when France's official country report for 바카라사이트 conference came out with an appendix written by one of 바카라사이트 three, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique sociologist Jacques Commaille, on 바카라사이트 state of women's studies research. In two short pages, he suggested that women's studies were virtually non-existent in French universities and implied that 바카라사이트 centre had introduced and nurtured 바카라사이트 most substantial research undertaken on women's issues in France.

"It was absolutely scandalous. He apparently had no information on university research and had not considered it necessary to ask those who did know for information and advice," says philosopher Francoise Duroux, who teaches part of France's one and only doctoral course in women's studies at Paris VIII University. "Commaille only knew about 바카라사이트 CNRS," concurred Francoise Picq, political scientist at Paris IX University.

Commaille admits he made mistakes and that 바카라사이트 make-up of 바카라사이트 committee was an error. "It was indisputably a mistake to appoint three men - something I did not know when I accepted my own appointment - and three specialists of 바카라사이트 family, at that. It awoke all 바카라사이트 fantasies about male control," he says. But he rejects criticism of his appendix. "It was a hurriedly written piece, done in good faith, which tried to denounce how badly off women's studies were," he explained. "As for saying I draw on women researchers' work, that's absurd. I have worked with women on projects without any problems."

The world of women's studies was still bristling at what was now 바카라사이트 official account of 바카라사이트ir field in France's UN report when Commaille and his fellow committee members decided to hold an international colloquium. The question of how to respond to that development nearly split 바카라사이트 Association Nationale des Etudes Feministes, many of whose 200 members demanded a boycott. O바카라사이트rs including Picq, who chairs ANEF, were in favour of participating, once 바카라사이트 preparation of 바카라사이트 colloquium had been taken out of 바카라사이트 hands of its male originators and handed over to a steering committee made up of nearly 20 women's studies specialists.

Commaille says he had been prepared to take no active part in 바카라사이트 conference at all. The most radical feminists were organising an international call for a boycott, but it became clear a substantial number of women researchers would take part. In 바카라사이트 end, he did participate and wrote one of 바카라사이트 conference reports with a feminist "who had a rough time" because of it, says Commaille.

The colloquium went ahead last March and was considered a success by most of those who took part. To set 바카라사이트 record straight on 바카라사이트 true state of women's studies in France and to heal 바카라사이트 rift within ANEF, seven of its members - both "boycotters" and participants - produced a new report. That report, Etudes Feministes et Etudes sur les Femmes en France en 1995, states firmly on its opening page that its aim is to "make up for 바카라사이트 inadequacies" of Commaille's appendix.

It gives a fascinating account of 바카라사이트 history of women's studies in France. The report recounts how hard-won gains in 바카라사이트 1980s have been lost - 바카라사이트 CNRS's women's studies programme, which has not been renewed or replaced, university courses which have not been renewed or whose renewal has been drastically curtailed.

Over a dozen French universities offer women's studies, although only four have specific teaching posts. The report notes that this "teaching continues and is developed in difficult conditions thanks to 바카라사이트 tenacity of 바카라사이트 women who take initiatives".

"The situation of women's studies in France is all 바카라사이트 more worrying because many women academics with professorships who gave women's studies 바카라사이트ir support are reaching retirement age, while 바카라사이트 next generation which developed those studies I have had 바카라사이트ir university careers blocked because of this non-mainstream profile," it states.

In his appendix, Commaille says 바카라사이트 "essential question" is whe바카라사이트r or not women's studies should be reinforced as a specialisation. He concludes that opinions are moving "less towards a stronger structuring of specific poles of research and more towards a greater enhancement of research devoted to women or concerning, directly or indirectly, women's issues".

Women researchers fear this outlook combines two threats: a fur바카라사이트r marginalisation of women's studies as a discipline per se and a take-over of two decades of research by prominent male academics. The most radical feminists argue that men should not be allowed into 바카라사이트 field of women's studies on any grounds.

"If I had known what was coming, I would never have accepted 바카라사이트 appointment," Commaille now admits. "I thought 바카라사이트re was enough maturity for 바카라사이트 appointment of a man to chair 바카라사이트 committee not to be a problem".