Violence against women: France launches 24/7 communication service

With eight in 10 French women saying they are afraid to be out alone at night, the French government has launched a national information and awareness campaign on violence against women.

The numbers are frightening. French women simply don’t feel safe in public spaces. More than half say they feel uncomfortable using public transport, verbal attacks are commonplace and six in 10 say that they’d move to a different side of the road or street if they saw an unknown man coming towards them, according to a 2022 study.  

A dedicated 24/7 service 

Women’s safety is a priority, leading the French government to set up an instant messaging service that allows victims or women with questions and concerns to speak with a police officer at any time of the day or night. The service is called Ma Sécurité and can be found here. It can also be downloaded as an app. 

Step-by-step plan of action 

The wider campaign also highlights what people – victims and witnesses – should do in the event of an attack.  

Advice for victims during or just after an incident is to draw attention to themselves by making noise or a scene of any kind, to get to a place where there are other people for shelter, and then to call the police on 17, where they will be asked for their name, place where the aggression occurred, where they are now and a description of the attacker.  

Witnesses to assaults should intervene or create diversions, being careful not to endanger themselves. Taking photographs or video footage of the incident is also encouraged if it is safe to do so. The witness should then alert police immediately with the location of the attack as well as a clear description of the perpetrator. If the victim is still nearby after the attacker has fled, try to get them to safety and reassure them until the authorities arrive.  

 

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Photo source: Lukas Stoermer for Unsplash