Carla Bruni-Sarkozy apologises for ‘clumsy’ feminism remarks

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has apologised for her “very clumsy” remarks on feminism that triggered a backlash criticising France’s former First Lady.
The 44-year-old wife of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, sparked howls of indignation from women’s rights campaigners this week after declaring: “We don’t need to be feminist in my generation.” Instead she suggested a woman’s place is in the home with her children.
In an interview for the January issue of Vogue magazine, to be published on December 1, she developed her views on the women’s liberation movement, adding: “There are pioneers who opened the breach.
“I’m not at all an active feminist. On the contrary, I’m a bourgeois. I love family life, I love doing the same thing every day.” Her words drew an outraged response on Twitter, in particular under the hashtag “#ChereCarlaBruni” (Dear Carla Bruni). “75.000 adult women raped in France per year are sufficient to convince me that my generation needs feminism,” wrote @ClaireS-C from the Osez le féminisme (Dare Feminism) group, which invited users to “explain to Carla Bruni why your generation needs feminism”.
“You are a true bourgeoise. In fact the only think you’re lacking is the intelligence to grasp the indecency of your remarks,” posted journalist Muriel Cousin. In a phone interview with the Elle’s French website, an apologetic Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy said she “completely understood” why her remarks could be viewed as shocking.
“This phrase is very clumsy and poorly translates my thoughts. It should have read: ‘I have never personally felt the need to be a feminist activist’,” she told the fashion website. When asked whether she was in fact a feminist, the singer and model said: “I imagine I am if feminism means claiming one’s freedom. But I am not if it means being committed in an active way to the fight that some women are still leading today.” She added: “I admire their bravery a lot, but I have chosen to commit myself elsewhere,” citing her charity work for education and the fight against Aids. She said that she had “on many occasions supported the cause of women” and would continue to do so when she could be of use. Despite the apology, she also claimed her words had been taken “out of context” during a long conversation with a French writer.
Her remarks in Vogue also drew fire from France’s ruling Socialist party, whose minister for women’s rights, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, said: “We need everyone to be a feminist. Feminism is the fight for the equality of sexes, not for the domination of one sex over another.” Green MEP Corinne Lepage tweeted that “while there are no women at the ECB (European Central Bank) we need feminism.” France ranks 57th in the World Economic Forum’s 2012 gender equality report, well behind Britain, in 18th place, but also Venezuela and Kyrgyzstan. It ranks almost last overall on the wage equality index – 129th out of 135 countries. French women have the most babies in Europe but are also the biggest consumers of antidepressants.