Nearly 200 demonstrators march against sexist and sexual violence

Two days before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, around 200 people demonstrated on Saturday November 23 in the streets of Saint-Denis to denounce sexist and sexual violence in Reunion and raise awareness. population of the capital.

The meeting was held at the beginning of the afternoon on Place Paul-Vergès, before the purple procession accompanied by drums crossed the city to the prefecture. Armed with banners and signs, the demonstrators once again shouted their frustration, while Reunion is still the second department in France recording the highest rate of victims.

Watch the report from Réunion La 1ère:

200 participants in the march against sexist and sexual violence

“We are all gathered to shout our anger” explains Céline Ngongang, collective member Nous tous 974. “Despite the mobilization of all the associations on the island and in France, violence increases every year. So we come back every year to say we are fed up with counting our dead, whether women, minorities of like, kids.”

“This year again there have been four feminicides in Reunion Island, we are tired of counting our missing sisters. Everyone must mobilize, whether through demonstrations, donations or actions in daily life”continues the activist.

In addition to the members of the collective, many local stakeholders are represented: family planning, LGBTQ+, student, environmental associations, but also unions, like the CGTR.
“There is violence in the family environment, but also this type of violence also exists in the professional environment” justifies Pierrick Ollivier, confederal secretary. “As a trade union organization, we defend male and female employees who are victims within their profession: harassment, rape… it exists in the company, in Reunion as elsewhere”he specifies.

A concern also shared by environmental defense associations, such as Green Peace. “If tomorrow we want to build a better world, we will have to change the relationships of dominance and cancel them. Today we are in the fight against the dominance of patriarchy, we are united” underlines Tiphaine, coordinator of the NGO in Reunion.

“We still see unprogressive mentalities today” observes Rayan, from the Students' Union. Wage inequalities between women and men still exist, there is rape, violence and harassment which remains unpunished or not treated correctly by the State.denounces the student again.