“Sexism begins at home, continues at school and explodes online,” denounces the High Council for Equality in its annual report

According to the 6th report of the High Council for Equality, macho ideas are on the rise among young men.

Sexism is still deeply rooted in French society. This is one of the conclusions of the 6th report on the state of sexism in France, published Monday January 22, by the High Council for Equality. Family, school and digital are “incubators of sexism”, according to the HCE. The study, carried out on a sample of 3,500 people, also points out, and this is new this year, an increase in macho ideas among young men.

A return to traditional values ​​among 25-35 year olds

It is a regression after years of feminist struggle, protests the HCE, which notes in its study a resurgence of conservative or reactionary ideas. More and more men – and particularly young people – think that feminism threatens their place in society.

This trend affects all age groups, including young men between 25 and 34 years old: an estimated 52% of them “Let us attack men” and 59% think it “it is no longer possible to seduce a woman without being seen as sexist”.

According to 40% of 15-25 year olds, it is even more and more difficult to be a man today. An increase of 14 points compared to last year. Men under 35 also have the feeling of being “treated less well in today’s society because of their gender.”

Furthermore, one in five men in this age group “considers it normal to have a higher salary than a colleague in the same position”. One in three of those aged 25-35 believe that it is normal for a woman to stop working to take care of children. Only one in four thought so before.

Finally, the report describes the “digital platforms” as “true sounding boards for gender stereotypes”. The HCE analyzed “the 100 most viewed content from the main platforms” (Youtube, Instagram and TikTok) and found that 68% of these Instagram contents “spread gender stereotypes”on Youtube, this climbs to 88%.

A trend also observed among young women

Finally, the return of conservative ideas is also observed among young women. According to the HCE, nearly 60% of them think that a woman should prioritize her family life over her career. This is significantly above the average for other age groups. “Sexism starts at home, continues at school and explodes online” summarizes the HCE.

Within their family, firstly, children are not educated in the same way depending on their gender, the study details: 70% of women “consider not being treated in the same way” than the men in their family. A differentiation that takes place “unbeknownst to the parents”, since “41% think they have educated their children in the same way at all levels.”

School “manufactures sexism” And “crystallizes” inequalities. One in two people consider that men and women do not “do not experience the same treatment”. It starts in primary school and goes “also manifest itself when choosing professional orientation” where 74% of women declare “never considered higher education or a career in the technical or scientific field” compared to 41% of men, a gap of 33 points.

“Digital is the school of sexism”

Invited on France Inter Monday January 22, the president of the HCE Sylvie Pierre-Brossolette claims to have received assurance from the Prime Minister that “the courses, provided for by law twenty years ago, will finally be put in place at the start of the 2024 school year ” for the levels “primary and secondary”. For the High Council for Equality, the persistence of sexist ideas in society can be the cause of more serious violence against women. He makes three recommendations: educate, regulate and sanction and proposes an action plan based on three pillars.

For the president of the HCE, “digital technology is the school of sexism”. Porn is particularly harmful in spreading sexism: “Half of 12-year-old boys say it’s normal to practice violence during sex, and that girls expect it and like it”. She therefore calls for specific measures on porn, in particular “remove scenes of torture and barbarity”.

Changing the law on rape

On the “ordinary stereotypes conveyed by other platforms” (Youtube, Instagram and Tiktok), she says she has “received the big bosses” and that they are “agree to do like the television channels: self-assess to assess the degree of sexism in the most viewed content”. So she wants it “engrave in law” and put it “under the aegis of Arcom”, For “make progress”.

First at school, with the appointment of a reference teacher and the creation of a dedicated manual, as well as ongoing initial training for teachers. Then on the internet: the representation of women in platform content should be evaluated annually, under the control of Arcom, the digital policeman. Last recommendation: we must really sanction sexist remarks which are not sufficiently identified and therefore punished, according to the High Council for Equality.

Finally, the report recommends doing “the crime of sexism a real legal tool for conviction”, by better training legal professionals, by simplifying this offense and by changing the law on rape and the care of victims. Sylvie Pierre-Brossolette has “a slogan for women victims of violence: go ahead, complain, it has to end”.