Magenta posters, three words in red letters and a signature: “Les femmes font Paris” (women make Paris). This November 2026, the City of Paris is running its “Paris Boss Lady” campaign across the capital. Behind this catchy slogan lies a much broader programme: making Paris a feminist city, where women can live, move around and speak out in safety.
A slogan that opens a door
The campaign fits in a few words. At the top, the City logo. In the middle, “Paris Boss Lady” in very large letters. At the bottom, a web address: paris.fr/villefeministe. The message is deliberately short, designed to be seen in a few seconds on street furniture.
The poster is therefore not an end in itself. It is a way into the “Paris, a feminist city” section, which brings together the city's commitments on equality and on fighting violence against women. The slogan catches the eye, the section provides the substance.
Why such a campaign?
The City starts from an observation: equality between women and men is still unfinished, even in a capital that sees itself as progressive. Its stated ambition is twofold. On one side, protecting women from violence. On the other, advancing equality in every area of daily life.
The figures quoted by the city show the scale of the task. Parisian women earn on average an hourly wage 21% lower than Parisian men. More than 285,000 victims of domestic violence were recorded in 2025, up 5% in one year. 84% of these victims are women, and only 13% file a complaint.
Another signal is worrying: the rise of masculinism. According to the data cited by the City, 18% of men explicitly support these ideas. The share rises to 33% among 25 to 34 year olds. The campaign is therefore also part of a cultural battle, at a time when speech hostile to equality is gaining ground.
What the City wants to put in place
A roof for every woman
The strongest commitment fits in one phrase: “zero women on the street”. To get there, the City gives priority access to social housing to single women, single-parent families and victims of sexist and sexual violence. The stakes are concrete: without housing, leaving a violent partner is often impossible.
Tools against violence
Several schemes are highlighted. The violentomètre helps to spot, step by step, the signs of a violent relationship. A programme for exiting prostitution supports people who want to leave it. The #Sexploited app completes this scheme. The City also restates its commitment to welcoming women who are victims of violence or of regimes that deny their rights.
Prevention from school onwards
Prevention starts early. The programme includes education on equality from secondary school, as well as a Paris passport for women's rights, which gathers the useful information in a single tool. Gender studies grants, such as the Margaret Maruani prize, also support research on these issues.
Health, sport and budget
The section stresses access to healthcare and to abortion. The “Paris Sportives” programme encourages women to take up sport. Finally, the City applies a gender-responsive budget: every expense is assessed for its impact on women and on men. All of this is part of a 2024 to 2027 equality plan.
Making women visible in the city
Street names also tell a story. The share of women among the names of public spaces in Paris has risen from about 6% in the early 2000s to about 15% today. Real progress, but it shows how far there is still to go.
What “Paris Boss Lady” really says
The choice of words is not trivial. “Boss Lady” evokes a woman who decides, who stands her ground and who takes her place. “Les femmes font Paris” (women make Paris) reverses the perspective: women are no longer only people to protect, they shape the city. The campaign thus brings together two registers that are often kept apart, protection from violence and self-assertion.
It is also a communication bet. A short slogan and a bright colour to catch the attention of busy passers-by, then a link to detailed content. It remains to be seen whether the commitments will match the poster's ambition. The first test comes soon: from 25 November to 2 December 2026, the City is holding events in several places in Paris, around the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
What My Self Key takes away
A poster campaign alone does not change women's daily lives. But it puts safety and equality in public space, where women still adapt their routes, their hours and their clothes. Housing, education and prevention are moving in the right direction, because they act on the causes and not only on the consequences.
At My Self Key, we believe a safe city is built on several levels: public policy, education, and the tools everyone can keep on them. None of these levels is enough on its own. Together, they let people move around more freely.
Reference sources
No one should live in fear.