What do the numbers say about violence against women in France?

Numerous demonstrations took place in France on Saturday, November 23before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25. Two high-profile cases that came to light earlier this fall reflect the scale of sexual and sexual violence in France: exposure accusations of sexual violence against Abbé Pierre AND trial of Dominique Pelicotaccused of drugging his wife to enable her to be raped by more than 50 men who are also defendants in the trial.

Whatever form it takes – assault, molestation, rape, domestic violence or femicide – violence against women is a common phenomenon. In 1993, the United Nations (UN) adopted Declaration on the elimination of violence against womenwhich is defined as “any act of gender-based violence that causes or is likely to cause physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether or not occurring in public life or private.”

In France, various statistics, although only partially reflecting reality, allow us to estimate the number of women who are victims of violence.

Why is it so difficult to measure sexual and gender-based violence?

The main available data on violence against women comes from two types of annual reports produced by the Ministerial Statistical Service for Internal Security (SSMSI). The first is a statistical report entitled ‘Insecurity and Crime’, based on complaints recorded annually in France by the national police and gendarmerie (but not taking into account other activities such as complaints made without filing charges).

However, this is not an exhaustive assessment because not all victims systematically file complaints or sometimes do so much later. In the wake of the #MeToo revelations, complaints of sexual violence have skyrocketed. In 2023, half of all victims filed a complaint more than six months after the incident, and 17% filed a complaint more than five years later (compared to 9% in 2016).

To better understand the real situation, the French government is producing a second annual report entitled “Personal Security Experiences and Implications” (VRS). The study examines a representative sample of people aged 18 to 74 in France for crimes and harassment they have experienced during their lives.

Sexual violence is on the rise

According to the latest VRS study published at the end of 2023, 270,000 women say they have been victims of physical sexual violence (rape, attempted rape and sexual assault) in 2022, and 1.14 million women say they have experienced non-physical sexual violence ( sexual harassment and indecent exposure).

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But only a small minority filed a complaint with the police or gendarmerie. Only 6% for physical sexual violence and 2% for non-physical sexual violence. Those who did not complain thought it “was useless” (23%), that it “wasn’t serious enough” (23%), or that their testimony “wouldn’t be taken seriously” (15%).

As a result, the data collected by law enforcement is logically smaller than the results of declarative surveys, but still shows annual growth. In 2023, 114,100 formal complaints of sexual violence were registered, of which 85% were made by women – a constant percentage over the year.

In the context of the ability to express oneself freely, facilitated since 2017 by the so-called The #MeToo movementthe number of victims of sexual violence recorded in 2023 by the police and gendarmerie was 7% higher than in 2022, which also takes into account the number of older incidents reported.

The main victims of sexual violence are minor women

Of the 114,100 victims of sexual violence registered by law enforcement in 2023, 65,300 were minors, a greater percentage of whom were young women. However, boys aged 9 to 19 are equally at risk of sexual violence.

On the other hand, the perpetrators were almost exclusively men. In 2023, of the 76,621 people accused by the police and gendarmerie of clear cases of sexual violence, 96% were men and 27% were aged between 30 and 44.

Additionally, according to statements recorded in the 2023 VRS survey, 52% of victims of rape, attempted rape or assault said they knew their attacker. In 13% of cases the perpetrator was a partner, in 15% a former partner and in 11% a friend. The report notes that in all cases of physical sexual violence, women are six times more likely to be victims than men.

Femicide at the heart of domestic violence

On average, every three days a woman is murdered by her partner or ex-partner. According to the 2023 report of the Inter-Ministerial Mission for the Protection of Women (MIPROF), there were 93 murders of women and 319 attempted murders. Some feminist groups believe these numbers are underestimates. The #NousToutes Collective it counted at least 135 femicides in 2023, and as of November 20, it had already reported 122 in 2024.

The MIPROF report adds to this number 773 victims of abuse by a spouse or ex-spouse that led to suicide or suicide attempt.

Genese study (gender and safety). conducted by the Ministry of the Interior in 2021 estimates that 3.6 million women aged 18 to 74 (15.9%) said that they had experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner at least once since the age of 15. The number of victims of domestic violence recorded in 2022 increased by 15% compared to 2021.

Sexism: One form of sexual violence leads to another

Although invisible on the outside, psychological violence should not be underestimated. The VRS survey found that the vast majority of women who experienced domestic violence reported very significant (36%) and quite significant (42%) psychological violence. The 2018 Anti-Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Act sets out punishable offenses for sexist insults and street harassment. Since its adoption, law enforcement authorities have registered 2,600 crimes of this type in France.

Gender stereotypes and casual sexism, which are mentioned in the article, also persist Annual report 2023 on the current situation of sexism in France by the High Council for Equality between Women and Men (HCE): “Public opinion recognizes and deplores the existence of sexism, but does not reject it in practice, which is a particularly common phenomenon among the men surveyed. This discrepancy between perceptions, statements and practices has tangible consequences in the form of symbolic, physical, sexual and economic violence, from everyday ‘casual’ sexism to its most brutal manifestations – there is a continuum of violence.”

The report is based on the “sexism barometer”, which shows that most women experience it on a daily basis: 57% of women have already been the victim of sexist jokes or remarks (two out of three of them are women at a higher socio-professional level). categories), 41% were victims of whistles and inappropriate gestures from men, and 29% – inappropriate comments about their clothing or body shape.

HCE 2024 report edition shows that once again the vast majority of French women and men perceive persistent gender inequality: 92% of the population believe that women and men are not treated equally in at least one sphere of society. Nine out of 10 women say they have changed some of their actions and behaviors to avoid falling victim to sexism.

Lisa Boudoussier

Translation of the original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher can only be responsible for the French version.

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