Gender Norms Etiquette in France

Gender equality is the social norm in France, so travelers should expect women and men to mix freely in public, work, and social settings, with direct eye contact and straightforward conversation considered normal. Traditional chivalry still appears in small gestures like holding a door or offering a seat, but it is not expected that women defer to men or that men pay for everything, and overly old-fashioned comments about gender roles can be taken badly.