Who is Femme Fiscale?

Femme Fiscale is not an individual woman or an actor or performance artist. Femme Fiscale is all of us! We are the ordinary women who make this world turn and Femme Fiscale represents our desire for equality in all aspects of our lives and for all women everywhere.

Who can be Femme Fiscale?

There are many talented artists and performers who are looking for a chance to use their gifts. In fact, Femme Fiscale was born out of a brainstorm potluck with a group of artists and creators that we know. Connect with local women’s artist organizations or art schools and departments and you’re certain to find someone who is looking for an adventure just like this. If you can, offer this person an honorarium as artists need to eat too!

What does Femme Fiscale stand for?

With a name like Femme Fiscale, this superheroine has a clear focus on women’s economic inequality. While women experience many kinds of inequality, much of this boils down to economics. If we had economic equality, much of the rest would fall into place. Traditionally women do not talk about economics — it’s a topic that’s been too-often used to intimidate and overwhelm. But Femme Fiscale knows that without women’s paid and unpaid labour the economy will quickly come to a halt. Femme Fiscale wants to get to the heart of the matter and that’s why she goes right to our government bean counters.

Where does Femme Fiscale appear?

Our Femme Fiscale has appeared in the media scrum on provincial Budget Day, a press conference about inequalities for women in theatre, a ‘Take Back the Night’ march, and a community housing action-planning meeting. Femme Fiscale can show up at any event. She looks especially good in contrast to a whole room full of men in suits.

What does Femme Fiscale wear?

Our Femme Fiscale wears a black bodysuit, a red plastic wig, big sunglasses (or POV goggles), striped tights, a purple cape, red gloves, red lipstick, tall green boots, and a yellow toolbelt in which she carries postcards to hand out. Your Femme Fiscale can dress up however she thinks a superheroine should.

What does Femme Fiscale say?

Below are a few classics from our Femme:

The media will usually pick up on a few lines so FF doesn’t need to have a whole script memorized, just a few really great phrases that get your message across and that tie in with the reality of your own region — we contrast Femme Fiscale with Manitoba’s Golden Boy who sits atop our Legislature to make her a ‘made-in-Manitoba’ superheroine.

Femme Fiscale doesn’t need to act loud and boisterous. Simply by walking around in costume she’ll attract a lot of attention and the media will come talk with her.

Femme Fiscale and the media

Let the media know that Femme Fiscale will be attending an event. Don’t give them the whole story because if they have too much information they might feel it’s not worth attending the actual event. A simple media advisory can let them know that something intriguing and exciting will be happening and that they should be there to find out what it is.

Let the media know that there will be good images as this will attract newspaper photographs and television cameras.

We sent out a media advisory the morning of Budget Day and within the hour we had several calls from the media. They all wanted to know who Femme Fiscale was. We kept saying that she was all women of Manitoba and just let them know in a friendly way that they needed to come down and see for themselves. We also assured them that they would have an opportunity to talk with the Femme herself.

Femme Fiscale can also send out a press release after an event to offer her opinions on what went down. For an example from UNPAC, visit “Femme Fiscale comments on Budget 2006”.