Germaine Poinso-Chapuis
Encyclopedia
Germaine Poinso-Chapuis (6 March 1901, Marseille
, Bouches-du-Rhône – 20 February 1981) was a French politician. She was the first woman to hold a Cabinet-level post in the French government. Her political convictions have been characterized as bearing the influence of both Catholic and feminist traditions.
district of Marseille
, Poinso-Chapuis was one of the first women in the city to qualify and practice as a lawyer, passing the bar in 1921. She became active in the movement for women's suffrage
in the 1930s. A Christian Democrat by conviction, she became an early member of the Parti démocrate populaire (PDP), the precursor to the Popular Republican Movement
(MRP). Within the PDP she campaigned to increase political representation of women. It was with the MRP that she entered parliament in 1945, winning election to the seat for her native Bouches-du-Rhône. She remained an advocate for women's rights throughout her career, arguing in 1946 for a change in regulations to allow women to serve as judges.
Poinso-Chapuis was in November 1947 appointed to the ministry of Public Health and Population in the government of Robert Schuman
. In the month before the government fell, Poinso-Chapuis brought in a decree which gave an allowance to every parent of a French school child. She remained the only woman to have served as a minister of France until 1974, when Simone Veil
took over the same portfolio.
and to enhance the status of nurses. Her name, though, was most associated with a measure nicknamed the "décret Poinso-Chapuis". This May 1948 decree, mandated by prime minister Schuman, proposed to grant non-state family associations permission to receive public funds to be spent on child welfare provisions, irrespective of whether those children were enrolled in secular state schools or in church-financed institutions. The measure proved intensely controversial, with education minister Edward Depreux claiming that it was invalid without his signature. Though the State Council ruled that the measure was legal, its implementation was temporarily suspended. The affair proved poisonous both to Poinso-Chapuis's ministerial career and to the government of Schuman, who was shortly afterward replaced as Prime Minister (albeit only for a month) by the Radical André Marie
. Poinso-Chapuis too, although she had never formally signed the decree, lost her post over the affair, being replaced by Pierre Schneiter
.
Poinso-Chapuis nonetheless remained a member of parliament, winning reelection in the 1951 elections. For the remainder of her career she voted largely with the MRP party line.
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, Bouches-du-Rhône – 20 February 1981) was a French politician. She was the first woman to hold a Cabinet-level post in the French government. Her political convictions have been characterized as bearing the influence of both Catholic and feminist traditions.
Political career
Born Germain Chapuis in the Bouches-du-RhôneBouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône is a department in the south of France named after the mouth of the Rhône River. It is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its INSEE and postal code is 13.-History of the department:...
district of Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, Poinso-Chapuis was one of the first women in the city to qualify and practice as a lawyer, passing the bar in 1921. She became active in the movement for women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
in the 1930s. A Christian Democrat by conviction, she became an early member of the Parti démocrate populaire (PDP), the precursor to the Popular Republican Movement
Popular Republican Movement
The Popular Republican Movement was a French Christian democratic party of the Fourth Republic...
(MRP). Within the PDP she campaigned to increase political representation of women. It was with the MRP that she entered parliament in 1945, winning election to the seat for her native Bouches-du-Rhône. She remained an advocate for women's rights throughout her career, arguing in 1946 for a change in regulations to allow women to serve as judges.
Poinso-Chapuis was in November 1947 appointed to the ministry of Public Health and Population in the government of Robert Schuman
Robert Schuman
Robert Schuman was a noted Luxembourgish-born French statesman. Schuman was a Christian Democrat and an independent political thinker and activist...
. In the month before the government fell, Poinso-Chapuis brought in a decree which gave an allowance to every parent of a French school child. She remained the only woman to have served as a minister of France until 1974, when Simone Veil
Simone Veil
Simone Veil, DBE is a French lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Health under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of the European Parliament and member of the Constitutional Council of France....
took over the same portfolio.
The "Poinso-Chapuis decree"
In post Poinso-Chapuis introduced a number of measures, including to extend the provision of vaccinationVaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
and to enhance the status of nurses. Her name, though, was most associated with a measure nicknamed the "décret Poinso-Chapuis". This May 1948 decree, mandated by prime minister Schuman, proposed to grant non-state family associations permission to receive public funds to be spent on child welfare provisions, irrespective of whether those children were enrolled in secular state schools or in church-financed institutions. The measure proved intensely controversial, with education minister Edward Depreux claiming that it was invalid without his signature. Though the State Council ruled that the measure was legal, its implementation was temporarily suspended. The affair proved poisonous both to Poinso-Chapuis's ministerial career and to the government of Schuman, who was shortly afterward replaced as Prime Minister (albeit only for a month) by the Radical André Marie
André Marie
André Marie was a French Radical politician who served as Prime Minister during the Fourth Republic in 1948.-Biography:...
. Poinso-Chapuis too, although she had never formally signed the decree, lost her post over the affair, being replaced by Pierre Schneiter
Pierre Schneiter
François Charles Pierre Schneiter was a French politician.Pierre Schneiter was born in Reims, elder son of Charles Albert Schneiter, a vintner, and Jeanne Marie Alice Sart. Charles Schneiter's father was a watchmaker from Bern, whose ancestors had come from Bavaria. Pierre's only sibling François ...
.
Poinso-Chapuis nonetheless remained a member of parliament, winning reelection in the 1951 elections. For the remainder of her career she voted largely with the MRP party line.
Personal life
Poinso-Chapuis was married in 1937 to Henri Poinso, a fellow lawyer, with whom she had two children.External links
- Review and summary, by Sylvie Chaperon, of Germaine Poinso-Chapuis: Femme d'État, by Yvonne Knibiehler, published in 1998.