Parity is about 'race': French republican citizenship and the French Caribbean

This article considers both the racialised and the gendered nature of citizenship in France, combining a reading of the construction of French citizenship and its exclusive nature with a discussion of the implications of the parity debate for other social categories besides gender. A historicised consideration of the French concept of citizenship is followed by a brief account of the place of the French Caribbean and its population in the Republic, emphasising the role played by the republican tradition in the exclusion of both French West Indians and French women. The article argues that gender parity leads to the discussion of other categories of difference, such as 'race', and demonstrates the need for more engaged debate of this issue.