Amid more than 100 instances of domestic femicide in France since the start of 2019, the Macron government has convened a conference on domestic violence to start Tuesday. But critics say the government needs to do much more, reports FRANCE 24.
France’s minister of gender equality, Marlène Schiappa, announced that a major conference on violence against women would be convened on September 3 with a goal of reducing the 220,000 incidents of marital physical or sexual violence that happen every year in France, according to official data. The interior ministry counted 121 femicides in 2018 – that is to say, a murder every three days.
Schiappa promised “strong announcements” from the first day of the conference, convened alongside 91 local meetings on domestic violence throughout France. She also plans to mobilise ministers with a wide variety of cabinet briefs to deal with this issue, starting with Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and including the ministers of justice, the interior, education and housing.
However, this event has provoked fierce criticism from activists, many of whom are decrying a lack of funds earmarked to combat domestic violence.
The pressure group #NousToutes – which rallied protesters at Paris’s iconic Trocadéro square overlooking the Eiffel Tower on Sunday after the 100th femicide in France this year was announced earlier that day – has estimated that it would take €1 billion to prevent violence against women. By contrast, Schiappa announced on Thursday a “special fund” of just €1 million for “field associations”.