French Society “Remains Very Sexist” in All Spheres, Government Watchdog Reports; Calls for Emergency Plan to Combat Sexual Violence
According to an annual report from the High Council for Equality between Women and Men, French society “remains very sexist in all of its spheres” even after five years of the #MeToo movement.
The council also raised alarm about high rates of sexual violence reported by women and called for a national “emergency plan” to combat the consequences of sexism.
In a survey conducted by the council, one-third of women reported being pressured into sexual acts by their partners, while one in seven reported being forced into having sex.
The council’s president, Sylvie Pierre-Brossolette, highlighted concern about sexism among younger men who have been exposed to social media, digital technology, and pornography, and emphasized the need to fight sexism from a young age.
On Wednesday, the council will share their conclusions with French President Emmanuel Macron.
According to Pierre-Brossolette, who spoke to France Inter, young people are being exposed to digital scenes of everyday violence and relationships based on domination and submission, which has affected society as a whole. She also noted that addressing sexism is a difficult task.
The council discovered that a large majority of women, at least 80%, feel they are treated unfairly compared to men based on their gender.
They reported that the frequency and gravity of these experiences are increasing in various areas such as the public, professional, personal, and digital realms.
They noted a contradiction in public attitudes, where people acknowledge the existence of sexism but fail to actively resist it.
Additionally, among men aged 25 to 34, nearly a quarter stated that they sometimes feel the need to use force to gain respect.
Furthermore, across all age groups, 40% of men believed it was typical for women to leave their jobs to take care of their children.
France’s Alarming Gender Inequality: A Call to Action
The council presented a 10-step plan that includes stricter regulations for online content and mandatory training against sexism in the workplace. Additionally, they proposed a ban on advertisements that promote gender-specific toys for children.
Despite these concerning findings, France has made progress in some areas. For example, the country has appointed its second female Prime Minister and the first female president of the lower house of parliament.
Furthermore, the government has increased resources to combat domestic violence and provides free birth control to women under 25.
Efforts are also being made to legally secure abortion rights in the country to prevent any rollbacks seen in other places, such as the United States.
However, the council still described the overall situation for women in France as “alarming” and stated that sexism is not decreasing in the country, but rather becoming worse and affecting younger generations the most.
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