Say “au revoir” to “mademoiselle.” French Prime Minister François Fillon pleased women’s rights activists on Wednesday, granting a years-long campaign for the term to be eliminated from official documents in the country. The terms “madame” and “mademoiselle” appear on official French documents, requiring women to check one or the other, revealing their marriage status. The change will make only “madame” an option, doing away with what feminist groups called a condescending term for women on anything from a tax form to an election ballot. The only option for men is “monsieur,” and French does not have the neutral “Ms.” term that English uses.
