a “violentometer” distributed on scientific university campuses to “better awareness”

This tool, which changes from green to red depending on behavior, has been adapted to the world of scientific research under the leadership of the L’Oréal Foundation. It was distributed Thursday on the campus of Paris-Saclay University.

Of the “kindness” to “threats and violent behavior“. On the campus of the University of Paris-Saclay, a somewhat unusual rule was distributed to students on Thursday March 14. It is green at one end, red at the other and the gradient varies depending on the behavior of the interlocutors.

On this tool, we can for example read in the green part “We treat you with kindness“, “We believe in your ability to have a career in research“. In the orange part it says “We make your ideas invisible“. In the red part, we find violence such as “We make intimate advances towards you despite your refusal” or “You are threatened with reprisals if you report violent behavior towards yourself or a colleague.”

This is a “violentometer”, a self-assessment tool to differentiate normal behavior from sexist behavior and sexual harassment at work. One in two female scientists has already been the victim of sexist or sexual violence in the context of their work, reveals an Ipsos survey commissioned in 2023 by the L’Oréal Foundation. The latter therefore decided to adapt the violenceometer to the world of research and distribute it to students at the Paris-Saclay scientific campus.

A “concrete” tool to raise awareness

“We must train men and women in sexist and sexual violence, otherwise it will never change, so the sooner the better”says Camille, a 22-year-old student years. “For people who suffer (violence) but also for people who might do them without realizing it, the fact that it is written helps to raise awareness.”agrees Pierre-Louis, also a student at Paris-Saclay.

“I find it very important to have fairly concrete tools because we talk about it a lot but we lack objects that allow us to put words, to pose things”, notes Pauline. She is the one who takes care of the distribution, as a member of the establishment’s “equality” mission.

“We want to ensure that the women we encourage to do scientific research can flourish.”

Alexandra Palt, general director of the L’Oréal Foundation

at franceinfo

This violenceometer specific to the research environment was designed at the instigation of the L’Oréal Foundation, which wishes “encourage young girls, young women to go into this environment because we need women scientists”explains Alexandra Palt, general director. In the coming weeks, this violenceometer should be available to students in almost all scientific faculties in France.