In France it was believed that idea of parity allowed the end of the political exclusion of women. However, equality still struggles to be translated into fact. In analyzing the terms that have been successively used to define and legitimize parity, this work shows how this conceptualization of equality of the sexes arrived at subversion of the radical objectives from the start. Blending political science, gender studies and the sociology of the law, the author analyzes the factors which have transformed the demands of parity, from international tribunals to militant and media-based French public space. This book allows us to understand the challenges posed to the republican model by parity and to begin to reflect on what might help elevate other minorities.