- The Minister of Culture received on Tuesday January 21 leaders of the media, brought together by the association For women in the media (PFDM).
- 59 media and cultural professionals have signed the association's charter, which notably recommends informing all employees about the precise legal definitions of sexual violence.
- "It is in their interest to ensure that this does not happen," explains Françoise Laborde, honorary president of the association.
A cloud of white males, and then a few women, cleverly placed at the front for the photo. Under the gleaming chandeliers of the salons of the Ministry of Culture, the CEO of TF1, the president of France Télévisions, the bosses of M6 and the group Le Monde, invited by the association For Women in the Media (PFDM) to sign a charter against sexual harassment and sexist acts. There are 59 signatories in all (including 20 Minutes ), like the leaders of the media today. No wonder when we know that there were only 27% of female editorial or publication directors in 2018, according to the Observatory of press professions.
“We must be intractable [against violence against women]. The talent [of the aggressors] must not be a mitigating circumstance ”, asserts Franck Riester, the Minister of Culture, while denouncing the“ media tribunal ”… By opening the ball of speeches, the Minister reminds that it is a duty media and culture professionals to "ensure a safe working environment". It rolls out the measures it has supported: bonuses for films that include as many women as men in the management positions of their film crew, appointment of harassment referents on filming, draft charter for journalism schools ...
A "real subject"
Then come to the gallery the members of PFDM, who express their emotion at the progress made, and the succession of leaders and media leaders, with a speech not always in tune…. "Before, our listening line was outsourced and I was told" everything is fine there are no calls ", laughs at the rostrum Delphine Ernotte, the president of France TV, proud to have brought up 25 cases of harassment since the introduction of a new system. The CEO of TF1 has no knowledge of any reports ... "I can say that there are many women I love in this room", then launched Maxime Saada, the CEO of the Canal + group, as a introduction, arousing some doubtful or downright terrified faces among the women in the audience, before announcing its commitments: the establishment of a paternity leave of four weeks and a zero wage inequality objective for 2021.
"It's a staging of a little creepy reality" laments, between two petits fours, Juliette Favreul, a film producer who is part of the collective 50/50, an association of cinema professionals who promotes equality . "The photos are a little cruel, with so many men ..." abounds Véronique Le Bris, founder of cine-woman.fr, a webmagazine dedicated to women and cinema. The journalist nevertheless welcomes the fact that there were so many people at the event - last year, there were 18 signatories - and that sexual harassment has become "a real subject" for the media.
A “positive dynamic”
The charter implemented by PFDM has four components: "I commit, I act, I share, I am responsible". The signatories undertake to inform their collaborators on what sexual harassment is and on the procedure to be followed when one is a witness or victim, to set up a listening and assistance system for victims or still to share good practices between them. Collapsed on a chair after so much activism, Françoise Laborde, honorary president of PFDM, recognizes it herself: the association currently has no means of control to verify that all these things have been done implemented by the first signatories, but it counts on the image effect that a distortion between the commitments made and actual reality could produce. "It is in their interest to make sure that this does not happen," she explains, even if she says that she is not "fooled" because it "also serves their purpose".
Delphine Ernotte is not sure that this charter had an influence on her actions to fight against sexual harassment, but she believes in the virtue of collective action: "This charter engages a collective movement, something stronger than to act on what we are already doing. It creates a positive dynamic ”. "It has the merit of creating a standard which makes it possible to organize practices and to force to keep a commitment", abounds Louis Dreyfus. And in this way, Le Monde group can serve as an example: an anonymous questionnaire was sent to all employees and employees who helped make up many cases and review the warning systems. Le Monde is also training all of its employees, and has reduced the wage gap between women and men to 2%, according to its CEO. A real revolution.
Media
Dozens of media campaign against sexual harassment with the Charter for Women in the Media (PFDM)
Society
"In rape, we, the victims, take perpetuity"
- The world
- Sexual violence
- Discrimination
- Delphine Ernotte
- Sexism
- Media