Back in April, a French court ruled that virginity was an "essential quality" that was to be expected of women upon marriage: if a man discovered his wife was not a virgin, he ask for an annulment. The decision has been particularly heated, because a woman's virginity is considered an "essential quality" under Islam. A French appeals court overturned the decision on Monday.
Valerie Letard, France's minister for women's rights, was shocked and outraged by the April decision.
Fortunately for women in France, the appeals court did not hold with the original decision's logic. Opponents of the decision compared the court's original decision of "essential quality" to female circumcision, asking if one day this decision could lead to that being considered an "essential quality" of a woman.
Unlike other countries, France considers religion to be a private matter, so it's easy to see how the court could have considered its decision as appropriate.
Had the court's original ruling been upheld, it could have been devastating to women in France, not just Muslim women.
Declaring virginity as an essential quality for women upon marriage, but not for men, is a frightening returns to the old days where a man would ride up on his horse, kidnap his woman, deflower her, and she'd be forced to marry him.
Not exactly the Knight in Shining Armor image I grew up with...
Image from Getty, royalty free.