“It’s not your fault”
To help victims of sexual harassment and violence is to demolish long-held victim-blaming that points the finger at women, rather than their aggressors.
On International Women’s Day, the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area will start from here, from what should be commonly accepted knowledge but isn’t yet, even in the MeToo era.
“No outfit, no behaviour justifies harassment,” reads a 2022 International Women’s Day leaflet by Aix-Marseille-Provence.
No woman should ever have to answer the question ‘What were you wearing?’, yet too many sexual assault victims will continue to be asked, the assumption being that violence wouldn’t have occurred had they not worn that dress, had they not tapped into a man’s worse instincts.
Get passers-by involved
Debunking millennia-old prejudices that have only contributed to worsening the dramatic, life-altering experience of sexual assault is one of the highlights of the Aix-Marseille-Provence International Women’s Day. This year, a communication campaign will serve that purpose by tackling gender-based violence on public transport. Posters and leaflets will be distributed to passengers travelling on the city’s metro network.
“Don’t allow a woman to be harassed” reads the initiative’s 10-page leaflet, providing encouragement, tips and advice for both victims and witnesses.
But reassuring a recipient of violence that “You have nothing to do with it” is only the first of many other crucial steps. There will be no real progress until society will fight the indifference of those looking the other way and until victims can find an ally among bystanders.
Directly addressing a person being harassed is a powerful way to step in and remove a woman from her aggressor’s clutches, recommends the campaign. “Hey Caroline, I haven’t seen you in a long time!” or “ Madam, you dropped something,” are some of the lines that the leaflet suggests using.
The campaign also encourages both victims and eye-witnesses alike to sound the alarm with authorities and file a police report.
On-demand bus stop
Ending sexual violence and harassment will require work and concerted efforts; with many people still afraid or unsure about what to do when witnessing an aggression, enrolling civil society’s help is crucial.
According to a 2015 report by France’s High Council for Equality between Women and Men, “every female user of mass transit has been a victim” of gender harassment, whether the act was punishable by law (such as violence) or not (comments, whistling).
Unsurprisingly, data shows that all over France, women’s public transport usage drops at night when it’s more likely that they will be harassed.
In the Aix-Marseille-Provence area, from 8 March passengers travelling on selected buses will be able to request an on-demand stop after 21:00.
The measure will protect people from the dangers hidden in darkness. It will allow women to shorten the distance between their drop-off point and their final destination, reducing the time they’ll have to walk alone and hence the chances of a night assault.
Say it with a movie
Culture is another powerful tool to raise public awareness about gender-based violence.
From November 25, 2021 to March 8, 2022, theatres in the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area will show 22 movies as part of the ‘Projections Plurielles’ – ‘plural projections’ – film initiative.
Each movie screening will include a debate. Audiences will be able to share ideas on gender relations, violence and other much-needed reflections on women’s road toward equality and a safer life.
