Interview with Françoise Picq

Picq, Françoise

Vive la Révolution/ Gargenville/Flins/‘groupe du jeudi’/ Mouvement de Libération des Femmes

Born 2 Aug. 1942, Murs-Erigné, near Angers. Parents both from military families, father a doctor at Mantes-la-Jolie outside Paris from 1944, on left and anticlerical. Mother convent-educated and Catholic, disagreed with husband Françoise’s education and politics and separated. Françoise admired and was guided by her father.

Lycée de Mantes, Faculté de Droit Paris (1962), degree in public law 1967. Got degree in sociology from Sorbonne/Censier and doing masters in sociology in May 68.

Little political engagement before 1968, ran school magazine, joined anti-fascist group during Algerian War.

‘Light bulb moment’ 3 May 1968 when the Sorbonne closed for lectures and she witnessed police brutality. Took lycéens of Mantes where she was surveillante to demonstration in Paris 13 May in coaches provided by CGT. Involved in Cahiers de mai.

In Vive la Révolution group with Tiennot Grumbach. Lived in commune of Gargenville near Base Ouvrière of Flins, where her Mantes connections were useful. Involved in Mouvement de Libération des Femmes from May 1970 and in ‘Groupe Femmes VLR’,which was in conflict with VLR leadership. Formed ‘groupe du jeudi’ with Nadja Ringart to try to keep together the different stands of MLF against domination of Psych et Po. Had international links with feminists meeting at Tranche-sur-Mer in Vendee. Left militant feminism for research after row at Marseille summer 1974.

Libération des femmes: les années-mouvement (Paris, Seuil, 1993) and Libération des femmes, quarante ans de mouvement (Brest, Éditions-dialogues, 2011).

See Bibliothèque de Documentation Internationale Contemporaine, Nanterre, FΔ Rés 612, Françoise Picq papers.