'Mademoiselle' banned on official French forms Feminists launched a campaign in September saying the Gallic equivalent to Miss was sexist as it stems from an old word for "virgin." In France, one traditionally calls a young, unmarried woman Mademoiselle - Mlle for short - and an older, married woman Madame, whose abbreviation is Mme. As in English, there is only one term to describe males: Monsieur, or M for short. Popular wisdom has it that calling a woman Mademoiselle pays her a compliment as it suggests she is young and potentially available. But two women's' groups, Osez le Feminisme (Dare feminism) and Les Chiennes de Garde (Guard Bitches), said the word was condescending and bolstered latent machismo in French society. "Contrary to popular belief, it is not flattering to tell a woman she's available, particularly in a professional context," their website insisted. "Mademoiselle harks back to the term 'oiselle', which means 'virgin' or 'simpleton'," said Julie Muret of Osez le feminisme. "Men don't have to choose between Monsieur, Damoiseau or Young Virgin," she added. French women are still asked to specify their status when filling in anything from tax to social security forms. As for the private, sector, the Mademoiselle box is a regular feature on subscription forms or even when buying a train ticket or booking a concert online. Roselyne Bachelot, the solidarity minister, had backed the ban calling the term an "intrusion into private life" and an affront to sexual equality.