associations call for demonstrations in front of the ministry on Wednesday at the end of the day

A rally is planned for Wednesday at 6 p.m. to demand “concrete and immediate measures” to combat sexual and gender-based violence in the sector.

Medical students, feminist organizations and health professionals are calling for a demonstration on Wednesday, May 29, in front of the Ministry of Health in Paris. Objective: request “concrete and immediate measures” to combat sexual and gender-based violence in the health sector. A rally is planned for 6 p.m. in front of the ministry, where demonstrators ask to be received by ministers Catherine Vautrin and Frédéric Valletoux, we can read in the appeal published Monday by the associations Dare to Feminism! and the national collective for women’s rights.

“The world of health, far from being spared from sexist and sexual violence, is on the contrary a particularly fertile breeding ground for it,” writes in this appeal the Emma Auclert collective, which brings together medical students, at the origin of the initiative. “Rape culture and secrecy are fueled by strong professional hierarchies, pathogenic management, esprit de corps and ‘gun culture’”.

Among the other signatory organizations are Nous Tous, the Solidaires Trade Union, Student Union, STOP to obstetrical and gynecological violence and the Observatory of sexist and sexual violence in higher education.

All require the establishment “emergency” of a plan “ambitious prevention and awareness-raising campaign against gender-based and sexual violence in universities and public and private health establishments, including compulsory training”.

They also demand the effective withdrawal “of all the pornographic frescoes still present in certain hospitals despite their ban” and the creation of an anonymous reporting platform for patients, or even “effective protection” for all students and professionals reporting gender-based and sexual violence.

This call to rally comes a month after the publication of a survey of Paris Match in which Karine Lacombe, head of the hospital infectious diseases department in Paris, accused emergency media specialist Patrick Pelloux of “sexual and moral harassment”.

These accusations triggered a wave of testimonies on social networks, notably under the hashtag #Metoohospital. Questioned on April 24 on this subject, the Minister Delegate in charge of Health Frédéric Valletoux promised “concrete proposals within a few weeks to turn the page on this sad period”not only in the hospital but throughout the healthcare sector.