France is trying to ban refusing a doctor of opposite sex?

It keeps coming back in various forms.

Are we seriously going to be back in the 1950s where underground systems exist for women to get medical care in people's back kitchens from other women who moonlight rather than see women go without care, in fear of being reported to the police?

Yippee, what kind inclusiveness.

It says "refuse to be treated by a woman" (implied in a medical setting) ..

It hasn't occurred to them that there are reasons why a woman may not wish to be seen by a male medical professional. In the context of Islamic fundamentalism and men refusing to be seen by a female, be taught by a woman, (shake a woman's hand if there was no Coronavirus)..

What I have seen seems to suggest that it is refusal to see only a female HCP. This is seen to be an attack on France's position that religion has no place in public life and that women are not to be considered inferior to men.

I don't think it's saying that at all. It's about refusing to be seen by a female doctor.

No, because that isn't what it's saying.

I don't think it is. I thought that as well but on looking at it again, I think he gave that as an example only.

I was looking into this exact issue but what I found is that there will be proposed updates to laicite or the secularism laws in France but the details have NOT yet been released (expected December).

From listening to Macron's speech it seems the intent is to push back against the separation of Muslim communities from civic society (eg schools, closed neighborhoods). Some examples given by Macron and his team include issues with Muslim bus drivers refusing service for women not dressed "appropriately" and laws to keep male relatives from refusing care from male physicians for their female relatives in times of emergency. Macron talked of protecting the rights of girls. So I'm being cautious before seeing this as a erosion of women's rights (quite the opposite from what I can gather). The men I spoke with about this couldn't provide me any real sources and I only found what I noted above.

@DidoLamenting. I thought that was what I said? Anyway Delphinium has expressed and explained it better than me.

The Twitter thread seems to be saying that you wouldn’t be able to choose a doctor of your own sex, though currently you can choose any doctor you like. The English-language Fr24news story emphasises that male patients wouldn’t be able to refuse female health professionals.

But itstill looks as if women wouldn’t be able to refuse male health professionals. And the French refers to ‘gender’, so I’m not sure how this is affected by people identifying as the other gender.

I hope I’m wrong. I don’t mind if my doctor is male or female, but many women do.