Gisele Halimi (1927-2020) made arguments in court that paved the way for abortion rights in France. She also represented revolutionaries fighting against oppression and colonialism.
Gisele Halimi (1927-2020) made arguments in court that paved the way for abortion rights in France. She also represented revolutionaries fighting against oppression and colonialism.
This month, we’re highlighting Women of Resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, reproductive control, or any number of other ills, these women created paths for change.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica.
All month, we’re highlighting women who led extraordinary lives of resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, or reproductive control, these women created paths for change.
Today, we’re talking about a woman whose arguments in court paved the way for abortion rights in France. She also represented revolutionaries fighting against oppression and colonialism. Let’s talk about Gisele Halimi.
Gisele was born on July 27, 1927 in Tunisia. At the time, the country was under French colonial rule. Gisele’s family was Jewish and very traditional. After she was born, her father was so ashamed to have a daughter instead of a son that he avoided announcing her birth for weeks.
Gisele’s parents had a clear preference for her two brothers. As a child, she wasn’t allowed to read, and she had to serve meals to her family. Gisele resented this. So, she went on a hunger strike for eight days. She demanded that her parents treat her as well as they treated her brothers. It worked – her father gave in. Later, Gisele described it as “her first feminist victory”.
When Gisele was still a teenager, her parents arranged for her to be married to a man twice her age. Instead, she went to Paris and enrolled at the Sorbonne-Pantheon college. There, she studied law and philosophy. She also became involved in activism, advocating for Tunisian independence from the French.
Gisele graduated in 1949, at the age of 21. She then returned to Tunisia to practice law. After Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956, she began defending revolutionaries from Algeria – another country fighting for independence from French rule.
It was while doing that work that Gisele took the case that thrust her into the spotlight: defending the Algerian activist Djamila Boupacha.
Djamila was accused of trying to bomb a cafe during the Algerian war for indepedence. The French military raided her home and took Djamila and her family into custody. There, French soldiers brutally raped and tortured her.
Gisele convinced Djamila to take her abusers to court, which was an unprecedented move. Gisele also convinced the writer Simone de Beauvoir to publish an article about the abuse that Djamila faced. The public watched this case closely, and in 1961 Djamila was sentenced to death. But a year later, Algeria gained independence from France, and Djamila was freed.
In the 1970s, Gisele turned her attention to abortion. At the time, contraception had only just been decriminalized, and abortion was illegal in France. People seeking abortions faced dangerous, clandestine procedures, and jail time if they were caught. It was in this atmosphere that Gisele co-founded Choose, an organization dedicated to fighting for the right to abortion in France. That same year, in 1971, she and 342 other women signed a public letter declaring they had all gotten illegal abortions. The letter was called Manifesto of the 343.
The next year, Gisele took on the case of Marie-Claire Chevalier. Marie-Claire was a 16 year old rape victim who had been charged and jailed after recieving an illegal abortion. In court, Gisele took a passionate but calm approach. She captivated the courtroom with her quiet demeanor. In the end, Marie-Claire was acquitted. The case was a turning point – it led to the 1975 Veil law, which legalized abortion in France.
Gisele didn’t stop there. In 1978, she took the case of two lesbian Belgian women, who were raped in France. Gisele won the case against their accusers, which set an important precedent: treating rape like the serious crime it is.
In 1981, Gisele took on a new role: member of parliament. She served in the French parliament as a socialist party candidate for three years. Later, she became the French ambassador for UNESCO.
Gisele died on July 28th, 2020 at the age of 93. Up until the end of her life, she was committed to fighting for the rights of women everywhere. Months before her death, she met with leaders in her organization, Choose. She had one question for them: ‘what will be our next fight’?
All month, we’re highlighting resistors. For more information, find us on Facebook ad Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!