The French government launched a few days ago a prevention campaign against harassment of women on the street and in public spaces. It consists of distributing five million leaflets with the title "Women's safety in public space". It seeks to make citizens aware of the intimidation they suffer, in places like the subway and in full view of everyone. The leaflets, to give more sense of authority, are being distributed by police and gendarmes.

The figures reveal a serious problem: in France, one in two women has suffered some act of sexual violence. Sexist and sexual infractions have grown by 32% in one year, especially in means of transport, and sexual assaults have also increased. Eight out of 10 women are afraid when they return home alone, according to the latest report by the High Council for Equality (HCE).

This campaign seeks that women report cases of aggression, but also that witnesses do so, because in many cases these situations occur in full view of everyone: they are bad words or attitudes that cross the red line and are considered harassment. This campaign is launched in summer, which is when women suffer more this type of behavior, because they are more uncovered.

To avoid this, some women have published, and made viral, videos on social networks in which they go out with the "shirt of the metro" (chemise du métro), thus inviting to wear, only for transport, a looser dress, little tight or low-cut, and avoid comments or looks. The crowds in the subway at rush hour facilitate this type of sexist acts. The search for the term "subway shirt" accumulates 14 million visits and there is even a term in fashion: Fashion Safety Layer.

According to a study by the national federation of transport user associations, 48% of women say they adapt their clothing if they are going to take the metro or bus. The trend, which also extends to other large cities, such as London or New York, is considered wrong by some experts, who remember that covering the body is not the way to fight aggression. The French blogger Shera, for example, shows in a video her "outfit to avoid being attacked in the subway".

Growing insecurity

French cities such as Paris, Marseille, Nantes, and places with many problems of insecurity, are not safe territory for women, who are often rebuked with sexist comments, especially if they go alone or at night, although it varies depending on the neighborhoods. "The feeling of insecurity is strong in the case of women," said the prefect of the Paris police, Laurent Nuñez, who warns that many cases of harassment are not reported.

The government's campaign seeks to prevent such behavior. There is a telephone number to report (17) and also an application (Mon securité) that allows the victim to contact the police and gendarmerie directly. The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, limited himself to tweeting this action plan a few days ago. Accused by three women of sexual harassment (the case was archived), he has received an avalanche of criticism from feminist associations for this campaign.

"Glory to our interior minister, who has decided to take the bull by the horns: distribute flyers to fight sexism. You have to think a lot. As more and more women are afraid to return home alone, Darmanin and her teams launch a major operation. A distribution of the nuclear deterrent range," journalist and writer Noemi Halioua, in the pages of Le Figaro, said wryly.

The High Council for Equality in France revealed in its 2023 barometer an "alarming situation": Most of the women surveyed report having suffered situations of inequality and ordinary sexism: jokes in bad taste, micromachismos, gestures out of place in the street ... 30% have been made sexist comments because of the way they dress or their physique. A third have suffered some situation of non-consent.

On the most extreme side of the problem, there is a death every two days of a woman due to machismo. Until May there had been 47 femicides in France, according to data from the Nous Toutes collective, which counts in its figures "any death or suicide of a woman because of her gender." In 2022 there were 121 deaths.

  • Articles Raquel Villaécija

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