France | Demonstrations to defend women’s rights in several cities

(Paris) Deux ans après la prise de mesures qu’elles jugent insatisfaisantes contre les violences conjugales, des milliers de personnes se sont rassemblées dans plusieurs villes de France pour défendre les droits des femmes, espérant être entendues, à cinq mois de l’élection présidentielle.

« L’impunité doit cesser ; L’éducation à l’égalité doit devenir une priorité », a martelé l’appel à manifester, porté par le collectif féministe #NousToutes et une soixantaine d’associations, syndicats et partis politiques.

Les défilés de samedi sont organisés en amont de la journée internationale contre les violences faites aux femmes, le 25 novembre. À Paris, la manifestation avait attiré il y a deux ans 100 000 personnes d’après les manifestants (35 000 selon la police).  

« Les violences ne sont pas une fatalité, elles peuvent cesser », a assuré devant les journalistes Marylie Breuil, du collectif #NousToutes, dans le cortège parisien. Elle a dit attendre des candidats à l’élection présidentielle [d’avril 2022] “Strong commitments in terms of prevention”.

The Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, Élisabeth Moreno, defended the government’s action on Saturday on Europe 1 radio, citing a 60% increase in the number of emergency accommodation places, police training, setting up anti-reconciliation bracelets and emergency telephones for women victims of violence.

“Each feminicide is one too many femicide, but we can see that all these actions are starting to bear fruit,” she said.

But for Sandrine Bouchait, president of the National Union of Feminicide Families present at the demonstration, “there were almost 600 women murdered during the five-year term, it was supposed to be a great national cause, but the figures are almost the same than those of the previous five-year term, it’s a joke ”.

In France, some 220,000 women are victims of violence and 94,000 are raped each year, notes #NousToutes. Since 1^er January, 101 women were killed by their spouse, according to the count of the collective “Feminicides by companion or ex”.

“It is no longer possible to tolerate this violence on half of humanity,” declared the green presidential candidate Yannick Jadot, present in the Parisian procession and for whom “we need training, resources for accommodation emergency ”.

Protesters are calling for more accommodation for women fleeing their abusive spouses. Currently, around 40% of victims are not offered any accommodation solution, and only 12% get a suitable place, with legal and psychological support, according to a report published Thursday by the Women’s Foundation.