Women equal men in French Legion of Honour 01/02/2008 00:00

France for the first time has decided to bestow its top civilian award, the Legion of Honour, to as many women as men

   PARIS, January 31, 2008  - France for the first time has decided to bestow
its top civilian award, the Legion of Honour, to as many women as men, in line
with a request from President Nicolas Sarkozy.
   A women's group had complained after Sarkozy announced a first group of
recipients in July that women were under-represented.
   The second list of his presidency, announced in the official gazette on
Thursday, includes six women and six men who have been promoted to a higher
rank in the Legion.
   Among the recipients for the award recognizing outstanding service to the
republic are Egyptologist Christiane Desroches-Nobelcourt, Sister Emmanuelle
and Italian actress Claudia Cardinale.
   Designer Jean-Louis Scherrer, master perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain and
photographer Willy Ronis also are honoured.
   The women's network group "Demain la Parite" (Tomorrow, Equality) said it
welcomed the government's move to ensure women were equally represented in the national award.

AFP