Grenelle of domestic violence: for feminist activists, the account is not there

These tracks were expected and cover a broad spectrum. Improve the collection of victims' complaints, disarm their violent companions at the first threat, facilitate the reporting of the facts by doctors: the 60 or so proposals submitted to the government, Tuesday, October 29, by the working groups of the Grenelle on domestic violence can "change the game," said the Secretary of State for Equality between Men and Women, Marlene Schiappa.

After this "point of step" of the Grenelle, the proposals put on the table are relevant? France 24 raised the issue with women's rights activists as the government unveil its concrete measures to stop this plague at the end of the process on 25 November.

"Proposals have been put forward but the budget is lacking.There is our concern: what real efficiency can be expected from public policies if they are not financed?", Laments Fatima Benomar, co-founder of the movement Nous Toutes, contacted by France 24.

"This is an important first step, but we can make communication, talk about the proposals to implement, if the budget does not follow, it will be impossible to reduce violence against women! They are considered a great cause Five years, but do not benefit from a budget ... ", adds Rebecca Amsellem, founder of the feminist newsletter Les Glorieuses, interviewed on the set of France 24. The feminist organizations claim 1 billion euros to stem this plague.

"If the budget does not follow, it will be impossible to reduce violence against women!"

"Interesting but incomplete"

The collective Us Tous, which calls for the increase of places in dedicated centers to shelter women, has decrypted the budget dedicated to the fight against sexual and sexual violence. Marlène Schiappa then announced an additional 361.5 million euros. In fact, 95% of this budget already existed in 2019, 2018 and 2017, according to this analysis.

In her speech to the press to present the proposals of the Grenelle on Tuesday, Marlène Schiappa expressed her interest more particularly for several of the measures proposed by the working groups of the Grenelle.

The Secretary of State has cited the possibility of "requisitioning firearms from the first complaint", weapons that constitute "the first mode of operation, before the blows", in femicides.

Another track: the establishment of a "clear protocol" with a "precise methodology" for police officers and gendarmes led to accommodate victims of domestic violence. "It's an interesting, but incomplete, protocol," says Fatima Benomar of "We All." It requires mandatory, in-depth training of staff to detect and simply believe the victims: I accompany some of these women, and if they do not have three broken teeth after violence, we do not believe them! ", she is alarmed.

Some may tell a story with a smile, because they have developed a self-defense system to cope with it, which can lead untrained police to question their word, Fatima Benomar explains.

To prevent this violence and change attitudes, it is necessary that these professionals are trained on the contexts of "machismo, patriarchy, psychological influence" that induces them, says the activist.

The third subject that caught the attention of Marlène Schiappa was "the evolution of medical confidentiality", which could make it easier for health professionals to report a situation of violence, even without the victim's consent. Such a measure could be particularly useful for emergencies, according to the Secretary of State.

False idea, according to Rebecca Amsellem and Fatima Benomar. "It could put into question the circle of trust that exists between women and health professionals," says the first, while the second fears that it slows the release of speech: "Some women, fearing to be put in danger, will no longer confide in their GP, "suggests Fatima Benomar.

A woman killed every three days by her ex-companion

In their proposals, members of the working groups also called for the creation of a "patent against violence" in schools.

They also suggest taking better care of psychological care, and making accessible 24/24 number 39 19, dedicated to domestic violence, which would be particularly useful for women residing in the DOM, currently hampered by the shift schedule.

The world of work also has a role to play in the accompaniment of female victims, say the actors of the consultation, who stress the need to "promote professional mobility [of victims]", but also to make available "a dematerialized way of keeping their payslips [...] to avoid any retention of the violent spouse ".

Every three days, a woman is killed by her partner or ex-companion, and every year nearly 270,000 women are victims of violence in France.

Since the beginning of 2019, 124 feminicides have taken place in France to date, according to the feminist collective NousToutes, more than during the whole year 2018, during which 121 feminicides were identified.

With AFP