Feminist collectives are calling on Tuesday for a "surge for equality" and against gender-based violence, on the occasion of International Women's Rights Day.

In this "feminist strike", the demands are tinged with criticism of the outgoing government's policy: in the eyes of activists, the Macron five-year term represents "five years lost" in the fight against gender inequality.

In Paris, the organizers expect at least 10,000 participants in the demonstration which will connect the Gare du Nord to the Tenon hospital, to "demand means against gender-based violence" and an increased fight against inequalities.

Parades are also planned in many other cities in France, at the call of around sixty associations and political parties.

Jean Castex aboard an "Equality Train"

“We are perfectly aware that there is still a lot to do” on the subject of equality between women and men, Prime Minister Jean Castex agreed on the eve of the demonstrations.

However "we have made progress, because the subject, which has long been put under the carpet, is now brought to the public square", continued the head of government, during a visit to feminist activists who have just completed a tour of France aboard an "Equality Train".

In Paris, three left-wing presidential candidates announced that they would go to the demonstration: the ecologist Yannick Jadot, the communist Fabien Roussel and the socialist Anne Hidalgo.

All three want in particular to restore a full-fledged ministry of women's rights, supplemented by a billion euros allocated to the fight against violence against women.

A delegation from La France insoumise will also join the procession, led by MP Clémentine Autain.

Women earn 22.3% less than men

To symbolically illustrate the persistent inequalities, feminist collectives are calling on women to strike Tuesday at 3:40 p.m., the time from which they “work for free” every day.

On average, women indeed earn 22.3% less than men in the private sector (excluding agriculture), according to data published Tuesday by Urssaf.

A third of this gap can be explained by the fact that their overall working time is lower, due to part-time work or short contracts: women thus represent 57.4% of short-term fixed-term contracts, but 42.5% of hirings in CDI.

And pregnant employees or employees returning from maternity leave are still too often victims of discrimination at work, worried the Defender of Rights, who published a "legal guide" on Monday to remind women that the law protects them, and that 'they must not give up complaining for fear of losing their jobs.

Proposals for measures sent to presidential candidates

The activists also intend to denounce the "failures" of the police in the care of victims of violence.

During the Parisian demonstration on Tuesday, several hundred demonstrators thus planned a “die-in” in front of the Père Lachaise cemetery, to pay “femmage” (and not homage) to the victims of feminicides.

All these grievances are included in the proposals for measures sent by associations to presidential candidates.

Several organizations, including the Women's Foundation and Oxfam, have presented an "emergency pact" of ten measures that they hope to see implemented from the start of the next five-year term, including a "Grenelle for equal pay".

At work, in relationships or at home, sexism remains anchored in the daily lives of the French despite their growing desire to fight it, noted for its part the High Council for Gender Equality, in a report published Monday.

Six out of ten French women say they have been subjected to a sexist act or remarks in the street and in transport, 46% of the women questioned have experienced sexist acts at work, and 43% are victims of them at home, according to the "alarming figures" of this barometer.

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Society

Women's Rights Day: Sexism in everyday life is still relevant, according to a report by the High Council for Equality

  • Violence against women

  • Womens rights

  • gender equality

  • Society

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