Study finds 37% of women in France experienced ‘situation of non-consent’

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) – Some 37% of women in France experienced “a situation of non-consent,” a French watchdog revealed in an annual report on Monday.

A study by France’s High Council for Equality Between Women and Men found that 14% of women in France “declared having undergone an imposed sexual act,” either an assault or rape.

The 2023 report also unveiled that 16% of men in France think that a sexually assaulted woman “can be partly responsible for the situation” she endured.

It pointed out that sexist cliches and stereotypes still persist in the country, as nearly 25% of men aged between 25 and 34 believe that it is sometimes necessary to be violent to be respected, while 40% of men of all ages find it normal that women stop working to take care of their children.

The report also argued that the government is the last of the trusted actors in preventing and fighting sexist acts and remarks, by only 30% of the population.

However, it added that “82% of French people wish to see prevention and the fight against sexism become priority subjects on the agenda of the public authorities.”

The council will present the report to President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday.