More means to fight against sexual violence in higher education

The budget allocated to the fight against sexist and sexual violence in higher education will double in 2023 and the government will launch a consent awareness campaign, announced the Minister, Sylvie Retailleau, in an interview broadcast on the

A year after the launch of a plan to fight gender-based and sexual violence (SGBV) at universities and in higher education establishments, "we realize that there is a real need for action, training and we are therefore going to double the budget devoted to this plan each year”, explains the Minister of Higher Education and Research.

This budget should thus increase from 1.7 to 3.5 million euros annually.

4% of the student population concerned

“The phenomenon of VSS is better known and measured.

Over the 2019-2020 academic year, we know that 140,000 people were affected by attacks or attempted attacks, i.e. 4% of the student population”, indicates the minister, for whom “it is huge and intolerable”. .

Already, “training sessions have been launched and reporting cells are being set up and deployed in most universities and major schools,” she notes.

“Two general inspectors work there full time and nine hundred people (students as well as teachers or university staff) have already been trained”.

Funded association projects

While alcohol consumption "increases the risks", especially during festivities such as integration weekends, many of which are taking place at the moment, "today we see a real consideration of these issues in the establishments that demonstrate responsibility", according to Sylvie Retailleau.

The ministry will finance "from this start of the school year projects of associations and establishments to the tune of 1.2 million euros", she explains, citing the example of Anestaps, the national association of students in sports, which will “receive a grant to set up during festivities (…) secure places with relay people”.

Hundreds of sexual assaults revealed in recent years

A consent awareness campaign is also starting this weekend, and "posters will be displayed (...) in schools and universities, with this slogan: 'without yes, it's forbidden'", a campaign that will be available on social networks in partnership with the online media Konbini.

Hundreds of sexual assaults were revealed last year by internal reports in several major schools, including CentraleSupélec or Polytechnique, and several rape investigations were opened in June by the Evry prosecution.

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