Presented on the occasion of International Women’s Rights Day, this plan of a hundred measures relates in particular to the care of victims of violence, health and professional equality.
The government unveils its roadmap until the end of the five-year term. A 2023-2027 plan for equality between women and men was sketched out on Tuesday 7 March by the Prime Minister’s services, on the eve of the presentation of the text by Elisabeth Borne in the Council of Ministers on the occasion March 8 International Women’s Day. “Ambitious and transversal”this plan equipped with “several hundred million euros” includes a hundred measures distributed around four axes, according to Matignon: the fight against violence against women, women’s health, professional and economic equality, as well as the culture of equality.
Among the flagship measures is the extension to the entire territory of medico-social structures such as Women’s Houses, which make it possible to receive and offer comprehensive care to women victims of violence. “We finance 56 today and we aim to double them”, so that there is one per department, explained Matignon, during a press briefing. The executive hopes “generalize the collection of complaints”in order to improve the “very low rate” of “one in four women victims of violence who lodge a complaint”.
The government plans to put in place “specialized poles” in all courts to better deal with domestic violence. Magistrates will receive specific training there and will be able to issue immediate protection orders, in less than 24 hours, “for the benefit of the victim of domestic violence and their children”. A file relating to the perpetrators and victims of violence must also be put in place gradually, starting in the second half of 2023. The penalties incurred by the perpetrators of serial rape will be increased and the limitation period in this area will be extended.
Measures for young people and single parents
With regard to women’s health, the government wishes to provide better support for women who experience a miscarriage, by eliminating the waiting period in the event of sick leave and by offering them psychological support. Female condoms can be reimbursed for those under 26, in the same way as male condoms already are. “They cost 15 times more than men and are unknown”underlines Matignon, anxious to give “choice” Women’s. Reimbursement of reusable period products like some panties and menstrual cups has also been promised for those under 26.
Specific measures concern single mothers, who sometimes give up care due to the lack of a childcare solution. Single parents will be able to benefit from “joint parent-child meetings” and a one-off childcare system in the event of day hospitalization or short stay.
The equality index extended to the public service
In order to promote professional equality, the government wants to decline the equality index in the public service, from this summer for the State public service, and in the summer of 2024 in the territorial and hospital public services. The executive also intends to relax the conditions for benefiting from maternity or paternity leave, reducing the duration of affiliation to Health Insurance to six months instead of ten, from July.
To create a “culture of equality” from an early age, the government wants to reward schools “the most virtuous” with a label on gender equality. The government wants all establishments to be labeled by the end of the five-year term.