Paris Under Scrutiny: While French President Emmanuel Macron frequently champions his nation’s role as a global defender of human rights and liberties, a newly released official report paints a disturbing picture of the reality faced by women in France.
A report from the Ministerial Delegation for the Protection of Women (MIPROF) has revealed alarming statistics, casting a shadow over France’s self-proclaimed image as a leader in rights and freedoms. The data, compiled by the National Observatory on Violence Against Women, exposes a grim reality often concealed beneath the surface.
Staggering Statistics: The 2024 annual report indicates that a woman is either killed, subjected to attempted murder, or driven to suicide by a current or former partner approximately every seven hours. This means that in France, a nation that prides itself on liberty, a woman falls victim to such violence at an alarming rate.
The report’s findings extend beyond these figures. Every two minutes, a woman experiences rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. Furthermore, a woman is subjected to sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior every 23 seconds. These statistics are not from a country plagued by war or chaos; they originate from the heart of what is often presented as the capital of “Enlightenment” and “Freedom.”
Rising Homicide Rates: Perhaps more concerning than the raw numbers is the upward trend. In 2024, the number of women killed by their partners increased by 11% compared to 2023, with 107 women murdered and 270 facing attempted murder. Additionally, 906 women who experienced sexual harassment by their partners either committed or attempted suicide. In total, 1,283 women were victims of domestic violence in 2024, encompassing direct or indirect homicide and attempted murder, compared to 1,196 in 2023. This persistent increase highlights the failure of government policies to adequately protect women, despite repeated promises and rhetoric.
