France's environment minister on Friday accused male colleagues in parliament of still being mired in sexism, after she objected to them using the masculine definite article in her job title.

"There is still work to be done," Barbara Pompili told Europe 1 radio. "What I saw yesterday at the National Assembly was some men not letting me speak as they did not agree."

Pompili had clashed with MP Julien Aubert and other MPs from the right-wing opposition in a debate over wind farms after he addressed her as "Madame le ministre", using the masculine form of the definite article in French.

Is 'Madame La Ministre' too much to ask?
Is 'Madame La Ministre' too much to ask? AFP / STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN

She hit back by addressing Aubert, serving as a rapporteur on a bill, as "Monsieur la rapporteure" using the female version of the definite article.

"I ask very clearly to be addressed as 'Madame la ministre' and if (he) does not respect this then he will be addressed as 'Monsieur la rapporteure'," she said.

MP Annie Genevard, presiding over the debate, backed her right-wing colleague Aubert, saying that the use of "Madame le ministre" had been validated by the French Academy which oversees language in the country.

But the minister later tweeted a clip of the debate, saying: "Is it too much to ask in 2021 to be called 'Madame la ministre' and not 'le ministre' when you are a woman?"