The punishment of a Woman wearing a face covering in France is interesting from a gender point of view, a woman wearing a burka or a niqab in a public place, would be subject to a 150 euro fine, whereas forcing a woman to wear a face covering in the same way would entail a 30,000 euro fine.

Does this target the problem of face coverings being a repressive instrument to women? It certainly encourages a woman’s decision making powers to be less controlled by others, however instead of giving them back to her, it allows the state to control them, is this dangerous or protection?

“not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience”

“We cannot accept to have in our country women who are prisoners behind netting, cut off from all social life, deprived of identity,”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/5603859/Nicolas-Sarkozy-says-the-burqa-is-not-welcome-in-France.html