France to step up action against domestic violence as hundreds take to the streets
The French government will in September begin a major consultation on domestic violence in order to stamp out gender-based murder and violence against women.
Since January, 75 women have died as a result of "femicide" - murder at the hands of a husband or partner - prompting more than 1,200 protesters to take to the streets of Paris to demand action.
Nous sommes présentes au rassemblement contre les féminicides.
74 depuis le 1er janvier 2019 ⚠️#STOPfeminicides #urgence #feminicide #plusjamaisça #5MesuresContreslesFeminicides #ProtegeonsLes#ExcisionParlonsEn pic.twitter.com/HRpfEtEB0D
— excisionparlonsen (@excisionparlons) 6 July 2019
"We are launching... a national consultation with the public and a campaign to wake up society," France's Minister for Gender Equality Marlene Schiappa told the Journal du Dimanche (JDD).
The consultation, which will begin on September 3, will be overseen by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and bring together ministers, rights groups, public services and victims' families with the aim of "creating more effective ways of working" on the ground, she said.
But the announcement drew a scathing response from feminist collective #NousToutes ("All of Us"), which denounced the delay in taking action in a statement titled: "Mr President, violence does not take a holiday".
"Women are in danger right now," the group said after a woman in her 30s was strangled to death at her home on Saturday.
In a message on Facebook late Saturday, President Emmanuel Macron admitted that France "has not known how to protect" women from deadly violence by their current or former partners.
Monica, Pascale, Taïna, Séverine, Nadine, Guo, Michèle, Béatrice, Isabelle, Patricia, Gulçin, Sylvie, Céline, Caroline, Maureen... Mesdames, la République n’a pas su vous protéger. Mon message pour vous, et toutes celles en danger encore aujourd’hui :https://t.co/ztEnrBkPFK
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 6, 2019
La Fondation des Femmes (The Women's Foundation) said the government consultation was "a first positive step" but warned that the victims needed "real and concrete measures, with funding" and not just "another awareness campaign".
Schiappa said the consultation process would end on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
In 2017, 130 women in France were killed by a partner or former partner, compared with 123 a year earlier, interior ministry figures show.
Comments
See Also
Since January, 75 women have died as a result of "femicide" - murder at the hands of a husband or partner - prompting more than 1,200 protesters to take to the streets of Paris to demand action.
Nous sommes présentes au rassemblement contre les féminicides.
— excisionparlonsen (@excisionparlons) 6 July 2019
74 depuis le 1er janvier 2019 ⚠️#STOPfeminicides #urgence #feminicide #plusjamaisça #5MesuresContreslesFeminicides #ProtegeonsLes#ExcisionParlonsEn pic.twitter.com/HRpfEtEB0D
"We are launching... a national consultation with the public and a campaign to wake up society," France's Minister for Gender Equality Marlene Schiappa told the Journal du Dimanche (JDD).
The consultation, which will begin on September 3, will be overseen by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and bring together ministers, rights groups, public services and victims' families with the aim of "creating more effective ways of working" on the ground, she said.
But the announcement drew a scathing response from feminist collective #NousToutes ("All of Us"), which denounced the delay in taking action in a statement titled: "Mr President, violence does not take a holiday".
"Women are in danger right now," the group said after a woman in her 30s was strangled to death at her home on Saturday.
In a message on Facebook late Saturday, President Emmanuel Macron admitted that France "has not known how to protect" women from deadly violence by their current or former partners.
Monica, Pascale, Taïna, Séverine, Nadine, Guo, Michèle, Béatrice, Isabelle, Patricia, Gulçin, Sylvie, Céline, Caroline, Maureen... Mesdames, la République n’a pas su vous protéger. Mon message pour vous, et toutes celles en danger encore aujourd’hui :https://t.co/ztEnrBkPFK
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 6, 2019
La Fondation des Femmes (The Women's Foundation) said the government consultation was "a first positive step" but warned that the victims needed "real and concrete measures, with funding" and not just "another awareness campaign".
Schiappa said the consultation process would end on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
In 2017, 130 women in France were killed by a partner or former partner, compared with 123 a year earlier, interior ministry figures show.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.