Friday, February 22, 2008

credit card for women





It's probably difficult to read the posters in these photos, I noticed them for the first time on the way to work this morning. When I saw them again at a different Bred branch near the office, I had to take photos. Bred bank is offering a credit card called Bred Affinity that is "La premiere carte bancaire dédiée aux femmes" (or loosely translated the first credit card specifically for women). From a quick glance at the site, I can't tell what the big difference is between this card and existing credit cards other than the designs, but since I know I won't be getting one any time soon I don't have the patience to look deeper. This new card plus my recent women are becoming men experience exemplify the (not so) subtle differences between the US and France when it comes to gender and what can be done and said publicly. I can imagine the reaction if an American bank tried something like Bred’s credit card for women. Lawyers would start filing lawsuits before the ink on the posters dried....

4 comments:

Betty Carlson said...

The overt and covert sexism in France never ceases to amaze me. I guess it is deeply rooted in some French concepts: "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité" or "Les Droits de l'Homme." Those would have surely been politically corrected by now in the USA, I think!

1001 Petals said...

I like being recognized as a distinct gender. *shrug*

A (Parisian) Seattleite back in Seattle said...

Betty C. - I agree that the US tends to be more "PC". It seems that French women are more accepting (yes I'm generalizing) of the overt sexism

1001 petals - I have no issues with women being a "distinct gender" as you put it. I do have issues with some of the blatant sexism that occurs. That said, at least if it's blatant you know where the person/institution is coming from.

1001 Petals said...

I thought about it more and I take back my comment. I cant imagine why each gender could use their own credit card.