France

Only 208 women will sit in the Assemblée Nationale, representing just over a third of all MPs. This is the second time in two years that the proportion of women in the Assemblée has fallen.

Excelling as a world-class athlete and performing parliamentary work both require determination, collaboration, and a commitment to excellence. As we count down to the Paris 2024 Olympics, let's meet five trailblazers who succeeded in both arenas.

1. Sebastian Coe - United Kingdom

2. Matthew John Cowdrey – Australia

3. Nancy Greene – Canada

4. Nawal El Moutawakel – Morocco

Around the world, the far-right is using anti-immigrant rhetoric around protecting women to woo female voters.

France's lower house of parliament on Tuesday agreed to pick an MP from President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition as the first woman speaker, despite the ruling alliance losing its majority in legislative elections.

The 19 June election saw surges for the far right and hard left and opposition forces have said they will not be lured into a lasting arrangement to support Macron's government, which is 37 seats short of an overall majority.

Rachel Keke, who coordinated successful strike for better pay and conditions, takes on Macron’s former sports minister.

A hotel housekeeper who led a strike for better pay and conditions at one of the biggest hotels in Paris could become the first cleaner to be elected to the French parliament on Sunday, as a left alliance challenges Emmanuel Macron’s centrists.

France has lagged in gender parity in politics, coming 33rd out of 185 spots on the Inter-Parliamentary Union's monthly ranking of women in national parliaments

France's new parliament will see a slight decrease in women MPs after the weekend's poll, a setback from the previous cycle when women filled nearly 40 percent of seats.

Centrist politician Elisabeth Borne was appointed France’s new prime minister on Monday, becoming the second woman to hold the post in the country.

Borne, 61, who was labour minister in the previous government, succeeds Jean Castex, who resigned earlier in the day.

By Alice Kantor

Few feminist policies have been campaign talking points during the election.

On Sunday, the French head to the polls to elect their next president. After the first round two weeks ago, there are two candidates on the ballot: centrist President Emmanuel Macron and far-right challenger Marine Le Pen.