To mark November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the RAJA-Danièle Marcovici Foundation organized a roundtable discussion on the theme “Ending Violence Against Women” during the seventh edition of the Université de la Terre at UNESCO.
Sophie Pouget, Executive Director of the Foundation, opened the conference with an overview of gender-based and sexual violence in France, five years after the #MeToo movement:
These alarming figures were drawn from data by the National Federation for Women’s Solidarity (FNSF) and the National Federation of Information Centers on Women’s and Families’ Rights (FNCIDFF).
Clémence Pajot, Executive Director of the FNCIDFF, noted that gender-based and sexual violence increased by 33% between 2020 and 2021, while femicides rose by 20%. She highlighted that cyberviolence, prostitution, and the pornography industry reflect a society still shaped by a pervasive culture of sexual violence.
Françoise Brié, Executive Director of the FNSF, described trends drawn from calls to the 3919 national helpline for women victims of domestic violence. Reports of child abuse have risen by 36%, the number of women reporting sexual violence has doubled since 2020, and one in ten women reports having survived an attempted strangulation.
Universities and Higher Education: Breaking the Silence
Iris Maréchal, founder and president of the Student Observatory on Gender-Based and Sexual Violence in Higher Education, outlined the particular forms of these violences in universities:
Medical Settings and Female Genital Mutilation
Halimata Fofana, author and activist against female genital mutilation (FGM), recalled that many excisors themselves were victims of FGM as children. The practice persists within family circles, perpetuated by silence and social norms. She emphasized that few feminist organizations in France amplify the voices of women affected by FGM, leaving survivors to internalize pain as part of their condition.
Francis Abramovici, physician and Secretary General of the College of General Medicine, stressed that healthcare professionals are legally required to report cases of FGM in minors. He called for integrating questions about gender-based violence into routine medical visits as a means to break the taboo.
Belgium’s Approach to Combatting Gender-Based Violence
Sarah Schlitz, Belgian Secretary of State for Gender Equality, Equal Opportunities and Diversity, shared similar findings for Belgium: an increase in violence against women and a growing number of survivors speaking out through movements such as #BalancetonPorc (ExposeYourPig ) and #MetooAcademia.
The Stop Feminicide Law – the first of its kind in Europe – which introduces concrete measures to protect women, including training for police and magistrates on domestic violence issues and systematic risk assessments throughout the victim support process.
Advocacy Toward Public Authorities
At this event, the RAJA-Danièle Marcovici Foundation invited audiences to explore the advocacy platforms developed by FNSF and FNCIDFF during the 2022 French presidential campaign, calling for specialized justice systems and dedicated funds for victims of gender-based and sexual violence.
