“We are a patriarchal society.” Thousands of demonstrators against sexist and sexual violence in the streets

On the occasion of the international day against violence against women on November 25, demonstrations were organized this Saturday, November 23 in all major cities such as Bordeaux.

“We say stop sexist and sexual violence!” From Marseille to Paris, via Bordeaux, demonstrators are demanding a “startle” and one “comprehensive framework law”: more than 400 organizations and personalities called for demonstrations this Saturday against violence against women, against a backdrop of shock waves caused by the extraordinary rape trial in Mazan.

One in ten women are victims of sexual violence, or 8,648 people. This is the observation made in 2023 in New Aquitaine. 122 feminicides have been recorded since the start of the year at the national level. Figures which worry the associations defending women's rights and the trade union and political organizations which met at Place de la Victoire at midday. According to the police, the mobilization brought together 1,600 people.

Gironde Family Planning was present to warn of the increase in sexual violence in Gironde, which is 28% for the month of September alone. This annual mobilization also reminds us that violence can take several forms: sexual, physical, psychological and economic.

“We think that it is a problem of domination in society and of domination of a system called capitalism. As long as the capitalists and the bourgeoisie make their order of domination reign over the whole of society and all over the planet, because it is not only France where there are women who suffer, the minorities will suffer. We are for the class struggle to take over these subjects!explains Fanny Quandalle, activist at Lutte Ouvrière.

“In companies, the law on equal pay is 51 years old and it is still not applied! This is proof that when we pay a woman less than a man in this society, we attribute less to her of value, that’s also what we’re fighting against!”

Among the demonstrators, Adrien Gintrad, a teacher in his forties, had made the trip.

“We are a patriarchal society. We are a society run by men and for men. It is important to show that as a man, I am capable of realizing this and trying to make things happen. things so that it evolves in the direction of more equality”.

The Enfantiste 33 collective recalled that during violence against women, we often forget the children who are also often victims. There are 160,000 children beaten and victims of incest each year. “It is important to know that in the fight against sexual violence against women, sexual violence against children is a beginning of this fight, because 80% of violence begins before the age of 18 and 70% of people who have been victims of incest will experience violence as adults.explains Caroline Fabre, teacher and member of the Girondin collective.

An emergency call number, 3919, for women victims of violence and their entourage, has been set up as well as “serious danger” telephones and anti-reconciliation bracelets in particular.
Measures welcomed by women's rights associations who, however, consider them insufficient and urge the Head of State to change gear.

The associations are demanding a total budget of 2.6 billion euros per year and a “comprehensive framework law” to replace current legislation that they consider “fragmented and incomplete”. The Secretary of State for Gender Equality, Salima Saa, promised “concrete and effective measures” for November 25. These measures will aim, among other things, to “improve the mechanisms for reaching out” to victims, particularly in rural areas, to strengthen “the reception and care of victims” via “training of front-line actors”, she clarified.