Paris tackles sexism in military academies

FRANCE’S defence minister has promised to exclude male students at its top military academy if accused by female colleagues of sexual harassment and “extreme misogyny”.

Florence Parly pledged ”zero tolerance” following allegations that a group of up to 60 male students forced out young women attending a preparatory school for the École spéciale militaire de Saint-cyr.

“There is no place for sexism in our armed forces,” the French defence minister told parliament.

Ms Parly said that some students would be excluded and the staff allegedly involved would face “disciplinary measures”.

Her announcement came a month after Libération, the French daily newspaper, published allegations of daily intimidation of females, who endured having their doors kicked at night to prevent them sleeping and defecation in front of their dormitories.

It quoted a letter sent to President Emmanuel Macron by a female student denouncing the presence of fraternities of ultra-nationalist young men known as “tradis”, or traditionalists.

She said that some male recruits were “willing to do anything” to force her and other female students to drop out.

“I’m ashamed for having wanted to join an army that isn’t ready to receive women. I’ve learnt that having a vagina ruins a career, a vocation, a life,” she wrote.

Ms Parly insisted that she would launch a “battle plan against discrimination to regild our military lycées”.