French activists protest violence against women and femicide

In France, around 200 000 women suffer from domestic violence yearly and the rates of femicide are one of the highest in Europe. 146 women were killed by their former or current partners in France as of 2019, and 90 as of 2020, which was a 15 year old low. Activists say that a 2020 dip in femicides is no reason for celebration as it is still too many. Moreover, the lockdown has brought about a steep rise in domestic violence. This was evident when the hotline for female victims of violence set up by the government received 45,000 calls during the first three-month lockdown. Since 2019 the French government has responded to the rates of gender-based violence with introducing 40 emergency measures aiming to protect victims. Activists say that the changes are not being implemented fast enough. An activist collective Les Colleuses (The Gluers) found that government action “was words and inaction and nothing has changed,” and took it up to themselves to protest violence against women by putting up simple posters with messages such as: “Le consentement n’est pas une option” (consent isn’t optional) and “Stop féminicide”. Femicide and other forms of violence against women are a troubling trend in a number of European countries and the poster-activism of Les Colleuses has spread to 15 countries.