INTERVIEW
The number is growing, inexorably. This weekend, the number of women killed by their spouse or ex-spouse has risen to 84 since January 1, 2019. While must open September 3, the "Grenelle of domestic violence" promised by the government Ernestine Ronai, president of the Observatory of violence against women in Seine-Saint-Denis and member of the High Council for Equality between Women and Men, detailed the expectations of feminist associations.
Financial means and better application of public policies
First, "that means are put on the table with this Grenelle", she explained to the microphone of Europe 1. "What we hope are means in accommodation, means given to associations specialized, means also personnel (magistrates, policemen, gendarmes) so that from the first violence, one takes them seriously. " For Ernestine Ronai, one of the main problems today is that violence is not taken into account as soon as it is reported. "Today, violence against women is not taken seriously when it comes in. I hope we can think of a presumption of credibility for the victims."
But the president of the Observatory of violence against women in Seine-Saint-Denis also recalls that "the legislative means" to avoid domestic violence "already exist": "eviction of the violent husband from the complaint, protection order even without complaint, serious phone danger ... there are ways, what it takes is to implement them. " As a comparison, 1,400 protection orders were issued in France in 2017. Ten times less than in Spain over the same period of time.
"Society becomes aware of the extent of the damage"
"Magistrates trained, sensitized to violence, grant these protection orders," insists Ernestine Ronai, taking the example of Seine-Saint-Denis, where focus 15% of protection orders. "It means that we have to get better training for all professionals." In addition, the expert calls for an "evaluation of public policies".
For Ernestine Ronai, things are moving nevertheless. "Society is becoming aware of the extent of the damage, something will become possible because society is mobilized, what matters is that mentalities can change and move, and so that the government take the measure of the suffering that this violence causes. " It is also in this context that it militates for the use of the term "feminicide". "We are counting today the number of women killed in a 'craft' way, the idea is to make visible the fact that women are killed because they are the companion or the ex-wife. companion of a violent man. " To use the term "feminicide" is to make visible the fact that it is women who are killed, explains Ernestine Ronai.