For about a decade, French nationalist movements have positioned themselves as guardians of women's rights, particularly against sexual violence. This shift, seen in the Rassemblement national and its European counterparts, breaks with traditional patriarchal stances. It represents a 'femonationalism' aimed at broadening the electorate without abandoning xenophobic ideas.
The French far-right has long viewed women through a procreative lens, as the 'womb of the white civilization,' far from emancipatory feminist demands. In 1996, Jean-Marie Le Pen stated to Le Parisien: 'It is ridiculous to think that their bodies belong to them; they belong at least as much to nature and the nation.'
The Front national (FN, predecessor to the RN) remained a male-dominated party until the late 2000s. Sociologist Sylvain Crépon notes that 'Jean-Marie Le Pen's positions on abortion, his emphasis on virility, and his sexist and misogynistic phrasing long deterred women from joining the party.'
In the 2010s, a new generation of far-right female militants emerged, less inclined to reject feminist heritage. From the Némésis collective to Marine Le Pen, the nationalist right adopts a superficial feminist stance. This 'femonationalism' has recently been highlighted by militant coverage of the trial of Lola's murderer and an attempted rape in the RER C, exploited to criticize immigration-related violence.
This rhetoric is also evident in Europe, allowing the far-right to expand its base while preserving xenophobic views.