The case for titles

In France, NPR informs me, if you're a woman and you need to complete an official document, you have only two choices of title: madame and mademoiselle. Now, it is reported, feminists are looking for a change. They want a French equivalent of "Ms."

"Mademoiselle," say feminists, separates women into two categories in a manner men aren't subjected to. The corresponding title for males, "damoiseau," which translates roughly into squire, disappeared from use nearly a century ago. Feminists say using the generic "madame," like "monsieur," will create the same rules for both genders. They also claim leaving out "mademoiselle" will cut down on opportunities for discrimination and harassment. Bas says France is way behind its neighbors. The Scandinavians no longer delineate between married and unmarried women, and the Germans have dropped "fraulein."

(Image: "Women, mostly members of feminist groups, wear fake mustaches and beards, and hold anti-sexist placards as they stage a demonstration in Paris in May against the political and media reaction to the sexual assault allegations against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn." Bertrand Langlois/AFP/Getty Images, via NPR)