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Marie-Thérèse Eyquem

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Marie-Thérèse Eyquem
Born(1913-09-06)6 September 1913
Died8 August 1978(1978-08-08) (aged 64)
NationalityFrench

Marie-Thérèse Eyquem (6 September 1913 – 8 August 1978) was a French sportswoman, feminist and politician. Under the Vichy regime, she participated in the ban against multiple women's sports including association football. In the 1960s, she became more involved in politics and joined the French Socialist Party.[1]

Early life

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Marie-Thérèse Eyquem was born to baker and insurance employee Robert Eyquem and teacher Louise Eyquem (née Bisserié) on 6 September 1913 in La Teste-de-Buch, Gironde, France.[2] She moved to Paris with her family in 1924. In 1927, she began work while continuing to receive education by correspondence.[3]

Vichy France

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Eyquem was appointed to the General Commission of Physical Education and Sports of Vichy France on 17 August 1940 as the director of women's sports, serving under General Commissioner Jean Borotra.[4][5] She applied the Vichy government's Révolution nationale policy to sports, critical of sportswomen who transgressed the traditional norms of femininity. On 27 March 1941, she announced a ban against women's participation in many sports including association football, rugby, boxing, wrestling, and cycling.[6]

After the merger of the Rayon sportif féminin [fr] and the Gymnastic and Sports Federation of French Patronages (FGSPF), Eyquem was chosen as assistant by the organization's head Armand Thibaudeau [fr]. She accompanied Thibaudeau on his visits across France,[7] and contributed to the integration of women into the FGSPF.[8] With FGSPF general instructor Olga Batany, Eyquem organized a "Festival of the Sportswoman" in Paris in 1941 and another on 5 July 1942; the latter gathered 20,000 spectators and between 4,000 and 5,000 participants.[6][9]

Eyquem's doctrine of better training of girls in non-mixed groups conflicted with Borotra's decisions, which placed women's sports governing bodies under the supervision of men's governing bodies.[6]

In 1942, Colonel Joseph Pascot [fr] replaced Jean Borotra. Eyquem was then promoted to deputy head of the General Commission of Physical Education and Sports and was no longer free to develop her projects.[10] Pascot was less interested in women's sports than his predecessor, though the number of sportswomen increased during his office.[11]

After Vichy

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After the liberation of France, Eyquem was not prosecuted for her position in the Vichy government as sport was considered to be apolitical.[12] She was appointed as inspector of women's sports by the new government, and retained her volunteer position at the FGSPF.[13] Several years after Eyquem's death, her later colleague Yvette Roudy stated that "it was [Eyquem] who taught me the difference between political engagement and duty to the state: as a sports official she considered herself to serve the state rather than the regime." ("C’est elle [Eyquem] qui m'a appris la différence entre l'engagement politique par rapport au devoir d'État : haut fonctionnaire des sports, elle considérait qu'elle servait l'État et pas le régime.")[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Marie Thérèse Eyquem". Commune La Teste De Buch.
  2. ^ Castan Vincente 2009, p. 23.
  3. ^ Castan Vincente 2009, p. 25.
  4. ^ Castan Vincente 2009, p. 47.
  5. ^ Jouaret 2012, p. 154.
  6. ^ a b c Glo, Pascal (26 July 2023). "Série (3/4) - 1943, l'année maudite du foot français : Et Vichy interdit le football féminin (Foot)". L'Équipe (in French). Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  7. ^ Groeninger 2004, pp. 185–186.
  8. ^ Groeninger 2004, p. 187.
  9. ^ Castan Vincente 2009, pp. 49–50.
  10. ^ Castan Vincent 2009, p. 48.
  11. ^ Castan Vincent 2009, p. 42.
  12. ^ Castan Vincent 2009, p. 56.
  13. ^ Jouaret 2012, p. 160.
  14. ^ Roudy 1985, p. 87.

Bibliography

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  • Castan Vincente, Florys (2009). Marie-Thérèse Eyquem: du sport à la politique, parcours d'une féministe (in French). Paris: L'ours. ISBN 978-2-911518-01-0.
  • Jouaret, Jean-Marie (2012). La Fédération des sections sportives des patronages catholiques, 1898-1998: que sont les patros devenus ?. Héritage et mémoire des associations (in French). Paris: l'Harmattan. ISBN 978-2-296-55969-1.
  • Groeninger, Fabien (2004). Sport, religion et nation: la Fédération des patronages de France d'une guerre mondiale à l'autre. Espaces et temps du sport (in French). Paris Budapest Torino: l'Harmattan. ISBN 978-2-7475-6950-7.
  • Roudy, Yvette (1985). A cause d'elles (in French). Paris: Michel. ISBN 978-2-226-02207-3.