Paris in Feminine? It's a mission that the capital is taking on once again this year, by giving feminine names to its streets. Every year, streets and other public spaces like gardens and schools are named after women. Moreover, since March 2025, the City of Paris invites you to (re)discover these remarkable women—scientists, actresses, authors, activists, etc.—through 17 thematic routes “Memori.elles”, which can be explored on foot, by bike, or online.
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A gradual but steady feminization of public spaces
For a long time, it was unthinkable to name a street after a woman, but the feminization of our cities is gradually becoming the norm. On a national level, by 2025, the names of women will be assigned to 13.3% of streets. Back in 1987, this percentage was just 9.5%. A slight evolution, of course, but one that matters. In Paris specifically, 15% of public spaces are named after women, compared to only 6% at the beginning of the 2000s.
Paris as a model city
It is Paris that has been a trailblazer for the feminization of streets. In 2001, the city...e mayor Bertrand Delanoë “encouraged district elected officials to make proposals to feminize the names of streets and public facilities, such as bus or metro stops,” explains Alexandra Mallah, a geography PhD student at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, in Le Monde.
Today, in the capital, “57 public roads, 30 green spaces, 37 municipal facilities, 47 commemorative plaques, and one statue bear the memory of women,” reminds the...City of Paris. We can find the Juliette Gréco square, the Gisèle-Halimi walkway, the Sarah Bernhardt City Theatre, the Bernadette Lafont footbridge, the Alice Milliat forecourt, the Jane Birkin footbridge, the Marie Bonaparte avenue, and the Agatha Christie street, all named between 2021 and 2025.
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