Feminist campaigners split over 'sexy Socialist' Royal

The women of France agree electing a female president would be a giant step forward for a nation which has treated career women poorly.

However, feminists are split over whether presidential hopeful Segolene Royal is the best person to advance their fight for equal rights in a country where a revolutionary heroine is the national symbol.

To some, the Socialist mother of four is a perfect example of a woman who has managed to balance the pressures of career and family.