Ten prominent French women politicians have launched a campaign for equal rights for women in French politics. The women, including former Prime Minister Edith Cresson and former Health Minister Simone Veil, published a Manifesto for Equality that states that for women to achieve equality in all sectors of society, they must gain parity in politics.

The women call for such measures as quotas to assure political parties nominate women candidates, legislation that prohibits sex discrimination in the same way that race discrimination is prohibited, and funding for political parties in proportion to how committed they are to women’s equality.

Currently, the French legislature is comprised of less than 6% women, compared to an average of 17% percent for other European countries. The ten women, from both the left and right of the political spectrum, came up with the idea of the manifesto after meeting monthly in a Paris cafe to figure out how to get more women elected in France.

"Why have women of diverse backgrounds, of sometimes opposing interests, decided to unite their voices?" they ask in the Manifesto. "All of us, to one degree or another, have been confronted with the incapacity of the French political system to truly accept women."

The women have called for a referendum on the issue of political equality for women. Surveys show that the vast majority of French citizens favor political and social equality for women and men. French Prime Minister Alain Juppe has said he is ready to organize a referendum.

Juppe came under attack last year for firing most of the women in his cabinet, after he had appointed a record number of women - 12 - to fill prominent posts.