As the distribution of five million leaflets began on Tuesday, several feminist activists protested against this initiative.
A campaign that flopped. On Tuesday 30 May, the Ministry of the Interior began distributing five million flyers intended to publicize advice relating to “the safety of women in the public space”. The document will be distributed throughout the summer on the territory by “police and gendarmes”, the government said in a statement. Preventive action notably ensured “during public transport and street patrols”, added Place Beauvau. Since the announcement of its establishment, thehe system is widely criticized by feminist associations, who consider it insufficient, even “aberrant”.
“We are at level zero of the policy made on violence against women”, castigates Sophie Barre, member of the coordination of #NousToutes. Like other feminist associations interviewed by franceinfo, the collective deplores the absence of a more ambitious policy on the subject and denounces a “display measurement”. At Osez le féminisme, we call this flyer a “gadget measure”. Its spokesperson, Violaine De Filippis-Abate, underlines a “gap” between the communication from the Ministry of the Interior, which refers to a “great operation”, and its real impact, which it qualifies as minor.
A message considered awkward
The campaign notably targets street harassment, a phenomenon defined by the sociologist Johanna Dagorn as “the i’ssexist and sexual arrests in the public space”. On the merits, feminist associations criticize blunders in the message, which takes the form of eight pieces of advice written in the imperative. “After the assault, go file a complaint”, can we for example read there. “One more injunction” made to women, while the government is “unable to implement conditions for which women would be well received” when they file a complaint, according to Violaine De Filippis-Abate. “Before formulating such injunctions, we must first tackle this site”she hammers.
An observation shared by #NousToutes, who regrets that the leaflets are distributed by the police, regularly accused of minimizing violence against women. “We there are still calls every day from humiliated women in the police stations”, ensures Sophie Barre.
The flyer also recommends that potential attackers “make noise and alert people around”. ‘An aberration”according #WeAll. “IThere may be amazement, or quite simply fear, on the part of the victim. This physiological phenomenon prevents the victims from moving”she protests.
Preferably address the victim
The second part of the leaflet is aimed at witnesses to attacks in public spaces. An initiative that goes in the right direction, judges the sociologist Johanna Dagorn, co-author of the book Discrimination in the city (ed. double punctuation). “In 90% of the harassment cases studied, there are witnesses, and in 85% of the cases, they do nothing”she points out.
“If it does not put you in danger: intervene or try to create a diversion by addressing the harasser or the victim”, still recommend the flyer. A recommendation welcomed with caution by the sociologist, who sees in it a risk of endangering the witness. “It must first and foremost address the victim”she insists.
Several feminist associations finally point the finger at the need to do prevention, from an early age, with boys – the perpetrators of violent acts being mainly men, according to INSEE. “Street harassment is one of the manifestations of ordinary sexism. Obviously, we have to fight against it, but this plan is not enough”, concludes Violaine De Filippis-Abate, of Dare feminism.