DSK and French Sexual Politics
If former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is found guilty, his sexual assault case could have an impact on French culture vis-à-vis relations between men and women, The New York Times has found in speaking with women in France.
If former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is found guilty, his sexual assault case could have an impact on French culture vis-à-vis relations between men and women, The New York Times has found in speaking with women in France. Amid the issues stirred up by DSK’s arrest last month some women already are raising their voices about the need for changes in gender relations. –KA
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...The New York Times:
The case has also sharpened the debate here about a French way of life, one of tolerance for a male-centric attitude in gender relations, an acceptance of all but the most egregious sexual assaults on women and a reluctance by the authorities to intervene, particularly in cases involving the powerful.
“This is a key moment, a watershed moment,” said Anne-Elisabeth Moutet, an analyst of French politics and culture. Women from across the political spectrum “have extremely unpleasant stories to tell, that men think women are all up for grabs, literally and figuratively,” she said. France is “a difficult country to budge,” she added. “But it’s an important step. Women are emboldened.”
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The combination of sex, hotels and criminal charges seems to be a common theme in Dominique Strauss-Kahn's world, and it has landed him in another legal mess -- this time in the former IMF chief's homeland of France, where he's caught up in a case known there as the "Carlton affair."
New York City’s hotels have agreed to arm housekeepers with personal panic buttons for use in emergencies, including the event of unwelcome advances from guests. The decision likely results from an increased concern for worker safety stirred up by the alleged sexual assault of a housekeeper by former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn last May.
Mr. Strauss-Kahn is a dead parrot. He has no political future but does not yet seem to understand this.
This week on Truthdig Radio, in collaboration with KPFK, we hear about the dark side of international freight; the downside of DSK's dismissal; the power of journalism, and the fall of the Soviet Union.This week on Truthdig Radio: the dark side of international freight; the downside of DSK's dismissal; the power of journalism, and the fall of the Soviet Union.
A judge in New York on Tuesday dismissed all charges in the sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former chief of the International Monetary Fund. (more)
Prosecutors have filed to dismiss all charges against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, writing that his alleged victim "has not been truthful on matters great and small." Strauss-Kahn was accused -- and virtually convicted by many news reports -- of attempted rape in May.
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