A new initiative by the French Public Transport Operator RATP to combat sexist and sexual violence with the introduction of ‘Safe Spaces’

01-08-2023

Idil Igdir

Women’s Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence 

In July 2023, a new initiative was launched by the RATP (Régée Autonome des Transports Parisiens) to create "Safe Spaces" to combat sexist and sexual harassment on public transport. The action comes in the wake of the increasing number of women victims of sexual assault on the Paris metro and RER in recent years. According to figures released by the French government in 2021, nearly nine out of ten women have already experienced sexist or sexual harassment on public transport (DayFREURO, 2023). The prevalence and seriousness of this problem have therefore become a thorny issue for RATP, leading the company to test a new initiative by introducing "Safe Spaces" for victims of sexual assault and gender-based violence starting in September. 

The operation is still at the experimental stage and will initially be tested in Auber and Opera metro stations (Chatriot, 2023). The plan is to target nearby shops, restaurants and those located in connecting corridors depending on which metro or RER station is. It will soon be possible to find the locations on the Umay application, which lists safe places to take refuge after an attack and also allows people to report incidents (Chariot, 2023). The RATP, therefore, aims to provide training to the employees at these establishments by Umay on how to welcome and assist victims of sexual assault and gender-based violence (DayFREURO, 2023). 

But the persistent problem of feeling unsafe on the Paris metro and RER is, unfortunately, no news to anyone who has ever used this public transport in the French capital. In fact, a new survey published on January 13, 2023, showed that almost half of those living in Paris, 46 per cent, do not feel safe on public transport (Hamon, 2023). Looking more closely at the figures, according to 2019 data from the Institut Paris Region, 93.5 per cent of women in the Paris region claimed to have experienced “some sort of harassment” on public transport, with 47.4 per cent of them being under 25 (BFMTV, 2023). In addition, the report from the Paris Police Prefecture states that 1,159 sexual assaults were reported in 2018 on public transport in the Île-de-France region, which is 30% more than in 2017 (F.C, 2019). 

This is thus a promising initiative to combat sexist and sexual violence in the Paris metro and RER, as the ratio remains alarming and appalling for women and girls. 

Sources and further readings : 

BFMTV. (2023, June 8). Île-de-France Politiques: 93,5% des femmes ont déjà été victimes de harcèlement dans les transports. Retrieved on August 1st, 2023 from https://www.bfmtv.com/paris/replay-emissions/capitale-2020/ile-de-france-politiques-93-5-des-femmes-ont-deja-ete-victimes-de-harcelement-dans-les-transports_VN-202306080916.html

Chatriot, L. (2023, July 15). Violences sexistes : que sont les "safe places" mises en place par la RATP ?. RTL. Retrieved on August 1st, 2023 from https://www.rtl.fr/actu/debats-societe/violences-sexistes-que-sont-les-safe-places-mises-en-place-par-la-ratp-7900282813

DayFRERUO. (2023, July 15).  what are the “safe places” put in place by the RATP?. Retrieved on August 1st, 2023 from https://euro.dayfr.com/trends/532117.html

F.C. (2019, March 10). Transports en commun : 30% de signalements d'agressions sexuelles en plus en Ile-de-France. 3 Paris île-de-france. Retrieved on August 1st, 2023 from https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/paris-ile-de-france/paris/transports-commun-30-signalements-agressions-sexuelles-plus-ile-france-1636144.html

Hamon, T. (2023, January 13). Sondage : Près d’un Français sur deux ne se sent pas en sécurité dans les transports en commun. Cnews. Retrieved on August 1st, 2023 from https://www.cnews.fr/france/2023-01-13/sondage-pres-dun-francais-sur-deux-ne-se-sent-pas-en-securite-dans-les-transports