France: The Voice of Thousands Protesters About Violence Against Women Heard Across the Country · Global Voices

With “significance” the brave Giselle Pelic- where her husband admitted that she was drugging and inviting dozens of strangers to her bedroom to rape her for a decade- thousands of people in , they protested against her from Paris to Marseille to France, thousands of people – mostly women, but also many men – today (23.11.2024) calling for a universal framework law to address violence against women. “The more we are, the more we become visible, it is a case involving everyone, not just women,” said Peggy Plu, who participated in the Paris demonstration along with tens of thousands of people – 80,000 according to the organizers. In Marseille, southern France, about 800 people, mostly young, gathered at the Old Port to denounce sexist violence. “ To break the law of silence, the shame of changing camp ” and “No means no, ” they wrote on the signs held by the protesters. “I feel it concerns me, all of us can play a role and especially men,” explained 38-year-old Arno Garsett, who participated with his two children in the mobilisation. “We are the source of the problem and the source of solutions too,” he noted. A little further, a woman wore a badge where she had deleted the phrase “Protect your daughters ” by writing in her place the slogan “Train your sons. ” These protests took place two days before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Monday. Aujourd’hui, nous étions 80 000 à Paris pour manifester contre les violences sexistes et sexuelles, contre les féminicides, contre la culture du viol. Le chemin à parcourir est encore long pour que ces violences cessent et que la honte change définitivement de camp. — Eva SAS (@_EvaSas) This year’s mobilization against all forms of violence (sexual, physical, psychological, economic…) takes place in France under special circumstances, under the background of the trial of 50 men accused of raping for a decade in the 70-year-old Giselle Pelic after her husband drugged her, unaware of her. This case, which shocked the country and global public opinion, “shows that rape culture is rooted in society, as is violence against women,” said Amadeen Cormier, of the “Feminist strike”, at a press conference she recently granted. “Patriarchal violence is practiced everywhere, in homes, in workplaces, in study areas, in the street, in transport, in nursing institutions, in society,” he stressed. The call for mobilisation signed more than 400 organizations and personalities, including singers and actors. “Several governments have multiplied promises but the means are insignificant and diminishing, political action is almost nonexistent” they said in their declaration asking for a “real leap”. In November 2017, a few months after taking over the presidency, Emanuel Macron said his presidency’s first goal would be to promote equality between men and women and the “full elimination of violence against women”. The measures taken (such as a telephone number for complaints from victims) were welcomed by the women’s rights associations, although they considered them inadequate. They call for an amount of EUR 2.6 billion per year to be invested in combating violence and for a ‘single framework law’ to be adopted to replace the current, fragmented and incomplete legislation. The Deputy Minister responsible for Equality issues, Salima Saa, said at the beginning of the month she would announce on 25 November “specific and effective measures”. Photos: Reuters