Gisèle Joannès (; 28 February 1918 – 6 September 1992) was a French trade unionist and communist who operated underground as part of the French Resistance during World War II.
Early life Born in Poland, Joannès's family immigrated to Paris in 1921 when she was around three years old. Her family were nonpracticing Jews, although she was an atheist like her father. When she was 17, she joined the French Communist Youth organization. She sewed clothes at a "couture" workshop, and was, in her words, "a card-carrying member of the CGT syndicate". In November 1938, she was fired for going on strike.
Resistance against Nazi occupation
In April 1939, when she was 20 years old, she married , the National Secretary of the French Communist Youth organization. In September, her husband had to go into hiding; the following month, Joannès joined him after the police tried to arrest her at her home. From this point until the end of World War II, she dedicated herself to the French Resistance against the Nazi occupation of France.
While operating underground for the resistance, Joannès adopted different pseudonyms, including "Pierrette" and "Rolande". She also secretly wrote , an underground communist newspaper. She would type editions of the paper "with two fingers" and turn up the volume of the radio in her apartment "as loud as possible" to mask the noise of the typewriter. She also frequently traveled to the countryside, smuggling "false cardsration cards, identity cards, and blank marriage certificates". She rode her bicycle and took commuter trains to avoid suspicion.
Joannès described how she had a close call in 1942 when an "Economic Officer" stopped her and tried to inspect the parcel she carried on her bicycle. The parcel contained food and false documents, which she had covered with baby clothes. When the officer reached to look under the clothes, she started to cry and pleaded with him to leave the items alone, because she needed everything for her baby and her imprisoned husband. All of this was a lie, but the officer believed it.
Trade unionism and politics
After the war, Joannès joined the Women's Commission of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT). She launched two newspapers for women workers in the 1950s: the () in 1952 and in 1955. She also served as secretary general of the Clothing Federation from 1952 to 1976. Her advocacy was focused on empowering women in the workforce.
Joannès was a member of the Communist Party of France and served on the Central Committee of the party from 1956 to 1967.
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