Gender-based violence in France: thousands of people in the street to say "stop"
Audio 01:17
The demonstration organized by the association #NousToutes gathered in Paris 50,000 people according to the organizers, and 18,000 demonstrators according to the police, on November 20, 2021. © AFP - ALAIN JOCARD
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
This Saturday, November 20, there were several thousand demonstrating across France to protest against sexual and gender-based violence.
The associations were also there to proclaim their demands a few months before the presidential election.
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With
Aglaé Gautreau,
from the France service of RFI
They are dozens of associations to have called to demonstrate.
Among them, the organizing collective, #NousToutes, which is waiting for concrete measures.
"
We will wait until November 25, see what things will be put in place,"
says Marylie Breuil, one of its activists.
Then, obviously, we will mobilize until the presidential election.
We want sexual violence to be at the heart of the debates of presidential candidates.
"
But for associations, this march will not be enough.
According to Lucile Jomat, president of SOS Homophobie, we must continue to mobilize to change mentalities.
"
We are here to live our lives
"
“
We intervene in schools to raise awareness, against both LGBTIphobic violence, but also gender-based violence,
” she explains.
This violence must stop.
So it is by educating that we will be able to change society.
"
A society that evolves little by little recognizes Lucile Jomat.
But the anger is still there: “
There is really a will to say stop to all this.
There is a real need for change.
We're here to live our lives.
We don't want to be pissed off in the street.
We want it to stop, so we really hope that the number [of demonstrators, editor's note] really shows that something will have to be done.
"
A main objective therefore: to be heard, again and again.
In Paris, the movement gathered 50,000 people according to the organizers, 18,000 according to the police headquarters.
This is half less than two years ago: 100,000 according to the organizers, 35,000 according to the police.
Other gatherings are scheduled throughout France between this Saturday and November 25, international day against violence against women.
In Rouen, a hundred people marched on Saturday, according to the regional press, while waiting for a night march Thursday on the theme "
Let's take the street, at night!"
".
►
To read also: AC Mailfert: "
machismo is the leading cause of murder of women in France
"
One billion euros per year requested for the fight against violence against women
In France, some 220,000 women are victims of violence and 94,000 are raped each year, notes #NousToutes.
Since January 1, 101 women have been killed by their spouses, according to the count of the collective "Feminicides by companion or ex".
For the whole of 2020, the figure had reached 102 feminicides and 146 in 2019, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
Feminist organizations estimate that the state should devote one billion euros per year to this fight, instead of 360 million today.
They are also calling for “
prevention
”
measures
, such as teaching younger people what consent is, and calling for an additional effort to create more accommodation places for women fleeing their violent partners.
In such a situation, about 40% of victims are not offered any accommodation solution, and only 12% get a suitable place, according to a report published Thursday, November 18 by the Women's Foundation.
►
To listen: Violence against women: associations urge the government to act more
"
Christian feminist and LGBTQIA organizations
"
The demonstration was also an opportunity to denounce incest, pedophile violence or violence suffered by children in the marital context.
For the first time, a “
Christian procession
”, carried by “
Christian feminist and LGBTQIA organizations
”, took part in the Parisian procession, “
around the victims of gender-based and sexual violence in our Churches
”.
"
It is important to show that there are many ways to be Catholic,
" testified a participant, Alix Bayle, saying that she is pushing "
for a reform in the Church
".
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