Mona Chollet

Mona Chollet is a Franco-Swiss journalist and author based in Paris, recognized for her feminist analyses that link historical persecutions of women to ongoing societal constraints on female autonomy, independence, and nonconformity.^[1][2] Her seminal work, Sorcières: La puissance invaincue des femmes (2017), translated as In Defense of Witches, became a bestseller by arguing that European witch hunts disproportionately targeted women who opted out of marriage and motherhood, refused beauty norms, or embraced independence—patterns she contends persist in modern prejudices against childfree, aging, or self-reliant women.^[3][4] As chief editor of Le Monde diplomatique from 2007 to 2022, she contributed to left-leaning international commentary while authoring essays for outlets like Charlie Hebdo, often critiquing capitalism, patriarchy, and cultural misogyny from a materialist perspective.^[5] Chollet's writings, including Reinventing Love (2020), emphasize dismantling romantic ideals shaped by male dominance and advocate for women's liberation from internalized sexist expectations, positioning her as a voice in European radical feminism that prioritizes biological sex-based protections amid debates over gender ideology.^[6][7]

Early Life and Education

Upbringing in Switzerland

Mona Chollet was born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1973 to a Swiss father and an Egyptian mother, holding dual French-Swiss nationality.^[8][9] She grew up in Geneva, where she later described her youth as that of a "double provincial," evoking the sense of isolation and yearning akin to Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary.^[3][10] The city's Protestant heritage, rooted in John Calvin's legacy, shaped aspects of her early environment, contributing to a cultural backdrop she has reflected on in relation to themes of guilt and restraint.^[11] Chollet's family background featured a maternal lineage with Middle Eastern roots; her maternal grandfather was a Catholic Palestinian born in East Jerusalem who emigrated to Egypt.^[9] Her mother, despite efforts to pursue education and employment, ultimately became a housewife, a trajectory Chollet attributes to societal pressures, noting that it exemplified the challenges women faced in achieving independence.^[8] She has recounted her mother's unpredictable angers as a reproduction of traumas from the elder woman's own childhood, highlighting intergenerational patterns of emotional dynamics within the household.^[12] Despite their families' limited emphasis on culture, Chollet's parents placed high value on intellectual pursuits, fostering an environment that encouraged reading and critical thinking from an early age.^[13] During her upbringing, Chollet developed an early interest in literature, discovering authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Émile Zola, William Faulkner, and Guillaume Apollinaire in childhood, which influenced her later feminist perspectives.^[14] She has stated that her engagement with feminism emerged organically through personal trial and error rather than formal ideology, shaped by observations of gender roles in her immediate surroundings.^[8] This period in Switzerland preceded her move to France for further studies, marking a transition from a relatively insular upbringing to broader journalistic endeavors.^[10]

Academic Background

Chollet pursued undergraduate studies in letters at the University of Geneva, earning a licence en lettres, the equivalent of a bachelor's degree in literature.^{[15] [16]} This program provided foundational training in literary analysis and humanities, aligning with her early interest in writing and cultural critique.^[17] Following her studies in Switzerland, Chollet enrolled at the École supérieure de journalisme de Lille (ESJ Lille) in 1996, a prestigious French journalism school, from which she graduated in 1998.^{[15] [18]} The ESJ Lille curriculum emphasized practical reporting, ethics, and media production, preparing graduates for professional roles in print and broadcast journalism.^[19] Despite this formal training, Chollet has described her background as lacking deep academic specialization, reflecting a self-perception oriented more toward independent intellectual pursuits than institutional scholarship.^[20]

Professional Career in Journalism

Entry into Media

Chollet completed her journalism training at the École Supérieure de Journalisme (ESJ) in Lille, graduating in 1997 after prior studies in literature at the University of Geneva.^{[21] [22]} Following her diploma, she entered professional journalism as a freelance contributor (pigiste) to the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, where she produced articles on cultural and social topics during the late 1990s.^{[23] [24]} Her association with Charlie Hebdo lasted about three years, concluding in 2000 after she publicly contested an editorial by director Philippe Val, leading to the termination of her contract amid ideological differences over the publication's evolving tone.^{[25] [23]} Subsequently, Chollet transitioned to Le Monde diplomatique, initially contributing as a journalist around the early 2000s before integrating into its editorial structure; by 2006, she had joined the web division, advancing to roles focused on cultural analysis.^{[26] [27]} She also co-founded and contributed to the online cultural review Périphéries during this period, expanding her media presence through essays on globalization and identity.^[28]

Leadership at Le Monde Diplomatique

Mona Chollet joined the staff of Le Monde diplomatique in the early 2000s, initially contributing to the animation of its website before integrating the core editorial team. By 2007, she had advanced to the role of cheffe d'édition, a senior position involving oversight of the editing, layout, and final preparation of content for publication.^[29] She held this post through at least 2021, continuing until 2022.^[21][30] In her capacity as cheffe d'édition, Chollet played a key role in shaping the monthly's production workflow, ensuring alignment with its editorial line of critical analysis on geopolitics, economics, and social issues. This involved coordinating with the directeur de la rédaction and rédacteur en chef to refine articles for clarity, factual accuracy, and stylistic consistency, while maintaining the publication's independence from mainstream media influences. Her tenure coincided with increased digital engagement efforts, building on her earlier website contributions, though the newspaper's primary format remained print with supplementary online access.^[31][32] Chollet's leadership emphasized substantive content over commercial pressures, reflecting Le Monde diplomatique's cooperative structure and resistance to advertising dependency. During her time in the role, the publication sustained its circulation of approximately 50,000 subscribers annually, supported by reader associations and minimal external funding. She stepped down from the position in 2022, transitioning to focus more on her independent writing and essayistic work, while remaining associated with the outlet through occasional contributions.^[29][24]

Literary Output

Major Books and Publications

Chollet's debut book, Beauté fatale: les nouveaux visages d'une aliénation féminine, published on February 16, 2012, by Éditions Zones, critiques modern beauty standards—such as padded bras for young girls, thinness obsession, and anti-aging pressures—as mechanisms reinforcing women's alienation and subordination in society.^[33] Her second major work, Chez soi: une odyssée de l'espace domestique, released on April 23, 2015, by Éditions Zones, explores the cultural dismissal of home-centered lifestyles, particularly for women, advocating for the wisdom of "homebodies" and the refuge provided by domestic spaces amid broader societal mobility demands.^[34] Sorcières: la puissance invaincue des femmes, published on September 13, 2018, by Éditions La Découverte (Zones collection), draws parallels between historical witch hunts and contemporary societal condemnations of women who defy norms—those who remain childless, embrace aging without youth's facade, pursue independence, or reject nuclear family structures—framing witches as enduring symbols of female autonomy.^[35] In Réinventer l'amour: comment le patriarcat sabote les relations hétérosexuelles, issued on September 16, 2021, by Éditions Zones, Chollet examines how patriarchal dynamics undermine heterosexual relationships from seduction through long-term partnerships, attributing persistent inequalities to ingrained gender roles rather than individual failings.^[36] Her most recent book, Résister à la culpabilisation: sur quelques empêchements d'exister, published on September 19, 2024, by Éditions Zones, addresses pervasive guilt-inducing societal pressures that hinder personal fulfillment, urging resistance against norms that pathologize nonconformity in areas like productivity, motherhood, and self-care.^[37]

Recurring Themes and Style

Chollet's writings recurrently defend women who deviate from traditional gender roles, portraying historical witch hunts as precursors to contemporary societal disdain for the childless, the single, and the aging. In Sorcières: La puissance invaincue des femmes (2016), she argues that witches were targeted for embodying independence from male authority, a prejudice echoed today in pressures on women to marry and procreate, with childfree women often viewed as aberrant or selfish.^[3][38] This theme extends to critiques of beauty standards and ageism, as in her analysis of how media and culture penalize women for physical decline, linking it to broader patriarchal control over female autonomy.^[8] Another persistent motif is the intersection of feminism with relational dynamics and internalized misogyny, where Chollet examines how patriarchal structures sabotage heterosexual love and self-perception. In Réhabiliter l'amour (2021), she dissects divisions between sexes, arguing that societal norms foster women's self-sabotage through expectations of emotional labor and subservience, while advocating for redefined partnerships free from dominance hierarchies.^[6] Her work often ties these personal struggles to systemic issues like capitalism and environmental degradation, positing that women's liberation requires challenging economic dependencies that reinforce traditional roles.^[8][39] Chollet's style is essayistic and journalistic, blending personal anecdotes with cultural critique and selective historical references to render feminist theory approachable rather than academic. She favors pop culture examples—films, literature, and media representations—over dense theoretical exegesis, making her arguments vivid yet grounded in observable societal patterns.^[38][40] This direct, unadorned prose prioritizes clarity and provocation, often framing women's nonconformity as a form of quiet rebellion against enforced conformity, though critics note its reliance on anecdotal evidence over empirical data.^[41]

Ideological Positions

Feminist Framework

Mona Chollet's feminist framework employs the historical figure of the witch as a metaphor for women who challenge patriarchal and capitalist norms, arguing that the European witch hunts of the 15th to 18th centuries systematically targeted non-conforming females, establishing prejudices that persist in modern society. In her 2016 essay Sorcières: La puissance invaincue des femmes (translated as In Defense of Witches in 2022), she delineates four primary categories of persecuted women: independent unmarried or widowed individuals who rejected male dependency; those refusing biological motherhood amid pronatalist pressures; elderly women devalued for defying youth-centric beauty standards; and subversive healers or intellectuals, precursors to contemporary feminists disrupting social order.^[42][38] Chollet contends that between 40,000 and 60,000 executions occurred during these hunts, disproportionately affecting women (comprising 75-80% of victims), which entrenched a cultural fear of female autonomy.^[4] This analysis posits patriarchy not as isolated from economic structures but reinforced by capitalism, where industries like cosmetics and media commodify women's bodies to enforce conformity, echoing the hunts' aim to control reproductive and economic independence. For instance, Chollet critiques the beauty imperative as a tool of subjugation, detailed in her 2012 book Beauté fatale, where she documents how advertising and pop culture perpetuate self-objectification, linking it to broader exploitation rather than mere cultural habit.^[39][43] Her framework prioritizes collective resistance over individual empowerment, viewing neoliberal feminism's emphasis on personal choice as insufficient against systemic barriers like intimate partner violence, which she frames as a normalized extension of male dominance rather than isolated pathology.^[7] Influenced by second-wave thinkers and media critique, Chollet's approach integrates historical materialism with cultural semiotics, reclaiming the witch as an emblem of "women free from all domination" to inspire rejection of compulsory heterosexuality, reproduction, and aesthetic labor.^[44] In Réinventer l'amour (2020), she applies this lens to heterosexual romance, attributing persistent gender imbalances to internalized misogyny and societal scripting that undermines mutual equality.^[6] While not strictly aligned with materialist feminism's focus on domestic production modes, her work echoes critiques of exploitation, though it leans toward accessible, pop-culture-infused analysis over rigorous economic modeling.^[45]

Critiques of Societal Norms

Chollet critiques societal beauty standards as a mechanism of control that enforces women's subordination, arguing in her 2012 book Beauté fatale that the pursuit of idealized femininity induces anxiety and self-objectification rather than genuine pleasure. She contends that media and consumer culture perpetuate these norms by equating women's value with physical attractiveness, leading to widespread complexes that prioritize male gaze over autonomy. This view draws on empirical observations of women's experiences, such as the pressure to conform to slim, youthful ideals, which she links to broader patriarchal structures limiting female agency.^[46] In Sorcières: La puissance invaincue des femmes (2017), translated as In Defense of Witches (2022), Chollet examines historical witch hunts as precursors to modern prejudices against women who reject traditional roles, identifying four archetypes: the independent woman who prioritizes career over partnership, the childless woman defying pronatalist expectations, the aging woman beyond reproductive prime, and the non-conforming woman who resists beauty mandates.^[38] She argues that societal stigma against childfree women stems from fears of female autonomy, citing statistics on declining fertility rates in Europe alongside cultural narratives that portray non-mothers as selfish or incomplete.^[4] For older women, Chollet highlights media underrepresentation and ridicule, such as depictions of postmenopausal figures as irrelevant or monstrous, which reinforce norms tying women's worth to youth and fertility.^[46] Chollet extends these critiques to romantic and familial norms, asserting in a 2012 Le Monde diplomatique article that media dichotomies—portraying women as either devoted mothers or sexual objects—trap them in reductive roles, discouraging alternatives like voluntary singledom or egalitarian partnerships.^[47] In Réinventer l'amour (2021), she analyzes how patriarchal inheritance of romantic expectations fosters dependency, internalized misogyny, and self-sabotage in relationships, urging women to dismantle these patterns through self-examination rather than adaptation.^[6] These arguments position societal norms as causal agents of gender inequality, sustained by cultural and economic incentives rather than innate differences.^[7]

Reception and Influence

Positive Assessments

Chollet's book In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial (originally published in French as Sorcières in 2017) achieved bestseller status in France upon release and garnered positive reviews for its examination of historical witch hunts as metaphors for ongoing societal constraints on women who reject motherhood, aging, or independence.^[38] Critics have lauded its accessible style, blending personal narrative with cultural analysis and feminist theory without overwhelming the reader, positioning it as a hopeful reclamation of female autonomy.^[38] An aggregate of eight professional reviews on Book Marks rated the English translation positively overall, highlighting its relevance to contemporary gender debates.^[48] The work has been praised for connecting feminist critique to broader indictments of modern capitalism and individualism, portraying witches as symbols of resistance against patriarchal norms that devalue non-reproductive women.^[3] NPR described it as a "celebration of women," emphasizing its defense of choices like childlessness amid persistent cultural trials.^[4] French outlet Le Monde called it a "brilliant, well-documented" essay, affirming Chollet's role in elevating the witch archetype as an emblem of enduring female power.^[49] Chollet is recognized as one of France's most widely read feminists, exerting influence on European debates through her essays that challenge beauty standards and relational dynamics, as seen in works like Beauty and Misogyny (2005) and Reinventing Love (2023).^[7] Her journalism and books have been credited with fostering discussions on internalized misogyny and societal expectations, contributing to her status as a key voice in contemporary feminism.^[50]

Criticisms and Counterarguments

Chollet's portrayal of intimate partner violence as the "most logical outcome" of male socialization under patriarchy, as articulated in her 2021 book Réinventer l'amour, has drawn criticism for essentializing male behavior and implying a deterministic link between gender norms and aggression, potentially excusing individual agency while pathologizing men broadly.^[7] Critics argue this framework overlooks variations in male conduct across cultures and personal circumstances, reflecting a comparative feminist approach that prioritizes systemic patriarchy over empirical nuance in violence data.^[51] Counterarguments from her supporters emphasize that such claims align with documented disparities in violence perpetration, where global statistics indicate men commit the majority of partner homicides and assaults, underscoring causal patterns rooted in socialization rather than innate traits, though not precluding exceptions. In Sorcières: La puissance invaincue des femmes (2017), Chollet's metaphorical use of historical witch hunts to symbolize ongoing female oppression has been faulted for historical inaccuracies, including overemphasis on gender-targeted persecution without sufficient engagement with primary sources showing witch accusations often stemmed from economic rivalries, religious fervor, or communal conflicts rather than systematic misogyny alone. Reviewers contend this selective narrative projects contemporary feminist grievances onto the past, inflating the hunts' scale and intent—estimated at 40,000–60,000 executions across Europe from the 15th to 18th centuries, with women comprising about 75–80% of victims but not exclusively so—thus weakening the analogy to modern norms like beauty standards or childlessness stigma.^[52] Defenders counter that Chollet's intent is interpretive rather than historiographic, using the archetype to illuminate persistent causal mechanisms of female control, corroborated by archival evidence of gendered vulnerabilities in trials, and that rigid literalism misses the essay's broader critique of normative enforcement.^[53] Recent works like Résister à la culpabilisation (2024) have elicited methodological critiques for relying on anecdotal sentiment and eclectic borrowing from other thinkers over rigorous analysis, resulting in moralizing tones that prioritize emotional resonance over falsifiable claims about societal guilt induction.^[54] One review describes this as "shopping" for supportive fragments, undermining the essays' diagnostic power on issues like internalized misogyny or ecological guilt.^[55] Proponents rebut that this eclectic style mirrors the diffuse nature of cultural pressures, drawing on verifiable patterns in media and policy discourse, and that demands for hyper-empiricism in feminist critique often stem from institutional biases favoring status quo interpretations over lived causal realities.^[56] Chollet's handling of familial abuse dynamics, particularly downplaying mother-perpetrated sexual abuse against sons in favor of emphasizing paternal or systemic harms, has provoked accusations of feminist double standards that normalize female aggression while amplifying male threats, potentially contributing to uneven cultural responses to child victimization.^[57] This selective focus, critics assert, ignores data showing maternal abuse occurs in 20–30% of substantiated cases in some Western jurisdictions, distorting causal analyses of intergenerational trauma. Counterpoints highlight that her emphasis reflects aggregate gender asymmetries in severe violence, with paternal figures overrepresented in fatalities, and frame such critiques as diversions from patriarchy's primary role in enabling unchecked male dominance.

Later Developments

Post-Editorial Role Activities

Following her departure from the role of chief editor at Le Monde diplomatique around 2022, Mona Chollet has primarily dedicated herself to full-time authorship and public commentary on feminist and societal issues.^[58] Her 2024 book, Résister à la culpabilisation: Sur quelques empêchements d'exister, critiques the pervasive cultural mechanisms that foster guilt and self-imposed limitations, particularly among women, arguing that these inhibit personal freedom and societal progress.^[59] In the work, Chollet draws on personal reflection and cultural analysis to challenge norms that equate productivity with suffering and self-denial with virtue, positioning resistance to such pressures as essential for individual autonomy.^[60] Chollet has maintained an active presence in media and intellectual forums, conducting interviews that extend her thematic concerns. In an October 2024 discussion with Le Figaro Madame, she elaborated on how workplace and domestic expectations perpetuate guilt among women, advocating for rejection of performative exhaustion as a measure of worth.^[60] Similarly, in a December 2024 interview with Arrêt sur images, she addressed racism within Israeli society, framing it as a normalized yet under-scrutinized dynamic in public discourse.^[61] These engagements reflect her ongoing role as a commentator, often leveraging her platform to interrogate power structures without institutional affiliation. Public appearances have included lectures and panels on her body of work. In June 2023, she participated in a "Meet the Thinker" event at Bozar in Brussels, discussing her feminist essays and their implications for contemporary gender dynamics.^[62] Her activities underscore a shift toward independent intellectual production, with no reported return to formal editorial positions, allowing greater focus on essayistic exploration of autonomy, critique, and resistance.^[59]

Recent Publications and Engagements

In September 2024, Mona Chollet published Résister à la culpabilisation: Sur quelques empêchements d'exister, an essay analyzing subtle societal mechanisms—such as internalized guilt and normative expectations—that constrain personal autonomy and self-expression, particularly for women.^[63] The book, released by Éditions Zones, builds on her prior feminist critiques by urging resistance to these "empêchements d'exister" through awareness and behavioral shifts.^[37] It received prompt media attention, including a podcast appearance on Folie Douce coinciding with its launch, where Chollet discussed strategies for silencing internalized patriarchal critiques. Chollet has maintained an active public presence through interviews and discussions tied to her oeuvre. In July 2024, she engaged in a conversation with the Chicago Review of Books on themes from her 2021 work Réinventer l'amour, emphasizing patriarchal disruptions in heterosexual dynamics and internalized misogyny's role in relational self-sabotage.^[6] Later in November 2024, she featured in French radio podcasts, including episodes on Bookmakers (ARTE Radio) and Spotify series, reflecting on her writing process and obsessions with clarity amid societal pressures.^[64] These engagements underscore her ongoing role as a commentator on gender norms, though post-2022, her output has shifted from editorial duties at Le Monde diplomatique toward independent authorship and selective media interventions.^[65] By October 2025, Chollet continued sporadic online commentary, such as posts on Bluesky addressing contemporary social issues like racial injures in legal proceedings, but no major new publications emerged beyond the 2024 essay.^[66] Her works, including reprints and translations like the German edition of Sorcières in September 2025, sustain influence in feminist discourse without introducing novel content.^[67]