At work, in relationships or at home, sexism remains anchored in the daily lives of the French despite their growing desire to fight it, notes Monday, March 7 the High Council for Gender Equality in a report.
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Released on the eve of International Women’s Rights Day, the first “Sexism barometeris part of the continuation of the #MeToo movement and against a backdrop of an increase in the number of complaints against sexual violence. The HCE report highlights figures “alarming”: six out of ten French women say they have been subjected to a sexist act or remarks in the street and in transport, 46% of the women questioned have experienced sexist acts at work, and 43% are victims of them at home. Acts found to be sexist in the report range from remarks “as a source of humor(which 57% of women say they have experienced) to the pay gap for equal positions or skills (concerning 21% of the panel).
The HCE emphasizes in its report that the “young women seem more exposedor become more aware of the subject than previous generations. For example, 13% of the women questioned indicate having undergone a forced sexual act. A figure that rises to 20% among 18-34 year olds. In front of “a general socio-cultural context conducive to sexismportrayed by the HCE, movements denouncing sexist gestures like #MeToo receive the approval of the majority of the opinion. Two out of three French people sayin favor of these movements”, and 52% of those questioned consider them as “required“. One in three French people now say they are careful not to be sexist in their actions and words. But 26% of men surveyed share their “fear of being perceived as sexistwhen approaching a woman. Among 25-34 year olds, this share is 40%.
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To raise French people’s awareness of sexism, the HCE calls for priority action “against impunity for gender-based and sexual violenceand to guarantee education in affective and sexual life during the school curriculum, as enshrined in law since 2001. As for the legal arsenal in the fight against sexist acts, eight out of ten French people believe that the sanctions are “insufficient or poorly applied», and 53% of the French «do not feel informed about existing laws and sanctions to combat sexism“.
(Survey conducted by the Viavoice Institute from February 2 to 16, 2022 among 3,000 French people over the age of 15.)