As Monaco marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25th November, a powerful new message has been launched across the Principality. The Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights has revealed its 2025 campaign titled L’enfermer ce n’est pas l’aimer – “To lock her away is not to love her” – aimed at exposing the often-overlooked dangers of coercive control in abusive relationships.
Presented in the presence of Human Rights Ambassador and former French minister Isabelle Rome, the campaign casts a spotlight on the psychological tactics used by abusers to isolate and control their victims. Céline Cottalorda, Monaco’s Interministerial Delegate for Women’s Rights, explained that the campaign’s objective is to raise awareness not only among victims but also among perpetrators, to highlight the insidious nature of domestic abuse.
She said the initiative is designed to provoke a shift in perception, particularly in cases where abusers may not see their actions as violent. Isabelle Rome echoed this sentiment, emphasising that tackling abusive behaviour at its source is essential to prevent repeat offences and drive wider public understanding.
The campaign uses the striking symbol of a ‘Black Box’ to reflect the tightening grip of coercive control. This theme is brought to life through a series of posters displayed throughout Monaco, including in the Fontvieille shopping gallery. At the heart of the campaign is an animated short film narrated from the point of view of the perpetrator, illustrating how a seemingly normal relationship can devolve into psychological control and abuse. The film will be shared on Monaco Info, as well as the Committee’s digital channels, and will also be available in English, voiced by Monaco’s Ambassador for Women’s Rights, actor Toby Wright.
In a bid to involve young people, the campaign partnered with the Department of Education, Youth and Sport to organise a video competition for secondary school students. Using the campaign’s title as a theme, students were invited to create original videos of one to three minutes, individually or in teams. The winning projects will be screened at a public event on 25th November at 6:30pm at Lycée Rainier III, providing an open platform for discussing coercive control and the role of community awareness in tackling abuse.
Several additional events are scheduled throughout the week to reinforce the campaign’s message. On 24th November, a conference hosted at the Stelios Foundation by the Zonta Club will feature historian and essayist Lucile Peytavin, who will examine the social and financial impact of masculinity culture. On 25th November, the Monaco Women in Finance Institute will hold a forum theatre performance at the Maison des Associations for corporate audiences, exploring the different faces of sexism in the workplace. The Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace (CHPG) will lead a discussion on 26th November at Lou Clapas about how to combat intra-family violence, with contributions from Dr Julia Aumiphin and Nathalie Simonnet. Then on 27th November, young adults will take the stage at the Société Nautique for a forum theatre event organised by the Soroptimist Club, using live scenography to unpack real-life experiences of gender inequality.
To complement these efforts, the Zonta Club of Monaco will run a visual campaign on public benches, while local NGOs She Can He Can and Fight Aids Monaco will launch new initiatives calling on men to take a stand against violence. Throughout the day on 25th November, Monaco residents are encouraged to wear a white ribbon as a visible sign of solidarity with victims and survivors of gender-based violence.
More information about the campaign and the full video can be found at dfm.mc/evenement/lenfermer-ce-nest-pas-laimer.
Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Main photo: Isabelle Rome and Celine Cottalorda, credit: Stephane Dana, Department of Communications