The victory of the Left in 2012, and the application of reinforced parity legislation, led to significant gains for women in French politics, with 27% women in parliament and 50% in government, including a powerful Women's Minister. However, a poor performance by the Right, and the concentration of women in less powerful positions, indicate that the battle for equality is not yet won. Sé golè ne Royal's bid to become France's first female Speaker also ended in drama and failure. Promises to

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... ve all state funding for parties who do not respect parity in the future could be the most important outcome for women of this election.