February 1, 1966 marked the entry into force of the “Loi Foyer” (Household Law) of July 13, 1965, through which France finally broke with centuries of marital guardianship by allowing married women to open a bank account without their husband’s permission. This milestone was not just about opening a checkbook: it marked the legal birth of the modern woman. Let’s take a look back at an emancipation that transformed the face of the world, from Paris to New York to developing countries.
While the figure of the housewife became dominant in the 1950s, the 1960s blew up the shackles of the traditional wife of the time. In 1965, this liberation of women in France came about through the possibility for the “weaker sex” to open a bank account without their husband’s consent. This was a real revolution for women who were confined to domestic tasks at a time when the contemporary Pater Familias (a legacy of ancient Rome) ruled the household with an iron fist.
1965: the end of “obedience” and the triumph of the Law of the Home
Before this turning point, the daily lives of French women were governed by the Napoleonic Civil Code of 1804. Article 213 was unequivocal: “The husband owes protection to his wife, the wife obedience to her husband.” Married women were effectively legally incapacitated, treated as minors incapable of managing their own affairs without the veto of their husbands, the “head and administrator” of the joint estate.
Under the impetus of Jean Foyer, then Minister of Justice, and thanks to the pen of jurist Jean Carbonnier, the law of July 13, 1965, blew up these old pillars. It brought about three major revolutions. First, banking and salary autonomy: women could finally open an account in their own name and hold a salaried job without their husband’s permission. Second, the reform of matrimonial regimes: the system changed from “community of property and acquisitions” to “community reduced to acquisitions.” The dowry system, a vestige of an era when husbands enjoyed their wives’ property, was abolished. And finally, commercial independence: women could now run a business separate from that of their spouse without the latter being able to oppose it.
A context of transition: between caution and progress
It is fascinating to note that in 1965, the Pompidou government—which was exclusively male—conducted a survey to ensure that public opinion would accept women signing their own checks. Although the law came into force on February 1, 1966, it remained a transitional step.
In fact, in 1965, the husband officially remained the “head of the family”. It was not until 1970 that this notion disappeared, 1985 that the management of joint property became truly equal (dual leadership), and 1987 to 2002 that paternal authority was completely transformed into shared parental authority.
The right to vote: the first cry for freedom in the 20th century
The legal emancipation of 1965 would not have been possible without the political gains that preceded it. At the beginning of the 20th century, in England, the suffragette movement laid the groundwork for citizenship. In France, after decades of struggle, the right to vote was only granted in 1944. This move to the ballot box enabled women to become actors in the reforms that, twenty years later, would liberate their wallets and their careers.
The revolution of the body: control over one’s own body
The financial independence provided by the Foyer law is inseparable from fertility control. In the 1960s and 1970s, a shockwave swept across the globe: in 1967 with the Neuwirth Law authorizing contraception in France, and in 1975 with the Veil Law legalizing voluntary termination of pregnancy.
By controlling their maternal calendar, women were able to transform their access to work (guaranteed by the 1965 law) into real long-term careers.
Education and remuneration: towards the glass ceiling
While 1965 enabled women to enter the labor market en masse, education was the driving force behind their rise. Today, women are statistically more educated than men in many OECD countries. The challenge is no longer access to employment, but fair pay. The concept of “equal pay for equal work” is enshrined in many laws, but the statistical reality still shows persistent gaps (around 15% in France for equal working hours).
Changing attitudes have led to a rethinking of the division of domestic tasks. The creation of extended paternity leave is the logical continuation of the 1965 law: for women to be completely free to pursue their careers, men must be fully involved in the private sphere.
Global emancipation at different speeds
The anniversary of the French law resonates around the world. In some regions, the system of “tutelage” still exists, strangely reminiscent of the Napoleonic Code prior to 1965.
Conversely, in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, microcredit has become the distant heir to the Foyer law: by giving women access to a bank account and a small amount of capital, there has been a dramatic reduction in poverty and an improvement in children’s education. Financial autonomy remains, in 2026 as in 1965, the most powerful lever for development.
New challenges: digital technology and violence
The 21st century brings new areas of struggle. Emancipation now involves combating cyberviolence, as online harassment disproportionately targets women who are politically active; gender parity in tech, by ensuring that tomorrow’s algorithms are not coded solely by men, thereby reproducing the sexist biases of the past; the #MeToo movement, launched in 2006 has enabled a global outcry in October 2017 in the wake of the Weinstein affair against structures of male domination.
The legacy of a signature
On July 13, 1965, by allowing French women to sign a contract without an intermediary, Jean Foyer and Jean Carbonnier not only modernized the Civil Code; they recognized the full economic and social humanity of women.
Sixty years later, this right to “manage one’s own property” has become the foundation of all women’s ambitions. From managing the family budget to running the largest CAC 40 companies, the progress made is immense, but it reminds us that every right is a fragile conquest that requires vigilance and transmission.
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Featured photo: © Todd Trapani
