For cat calling and verbal abuse to women in public spaces. From france 24, this is an hour. We are going to cross live to pres. Macron equality between men and women must lead to a fight against violence against women. I would like to thank you for your commitment because that is what will lead to change. Shameeling of horror and of the situation that exists today and has become it becamely acute and very prominent over a year ago, we are talking about shame here because we are human beings. Are a political decision maker, candidate, and then president of the republic. If i didnt consider this as something important or not important, it could lead to ambiguity. Just over a year ago, this came to prominence. What many other citizens of france, i had already heard about this issue, of course. We talked about it much less. Silence, a kind of ail of silence, and when is candidate for the presidency i launched to be great march in which many participated with the aim of feeding back from the field the concerns of the french in security, and above all, the issue of violence against women came out as the most important concern. Many women came to knock on the doors of the people and ask the women, what were they concerned about. There were interrogated, they were questioned anonymously. They said that harassment and violence was their main concern. Thats really surprised many of us. I felt shameful for not having been aware of this. When i had the first meeting on observationthis come of this reality, this determination to commit ourselves, the fact that it became a topic many people laughed in response, including many who today are making about anious statements tendency to confuse everything, to mix everything because we are a society where we are now criticizing everybody in this regard. A year ago people had nothing about this on this issue. Later, i was going on a nonprofit with a friend who is here today. [applause] in a period of one year, something happened. The free team of expense the freedom of expression, the taboo the freedomted of expression, the taboo has been lifted. I cannot forget that we still have a lot to do. We still have our work cut out. If we are here today, we must continue to denounce sexism, but many people today in our country consider that they still dont feel free enough to speak. They still feel ashamed of speaking out because they are housewives, workers, employees, and there is a problem of social justice in addition to the sexual violence. They feel it is not for them to speak out. They must understand one thing. For mobilization is their cause. It is the cause of each man and each woman who sees the indignity of such behaviors, the unacceptable nature of such is important in every part of the republic each time we hear of this. It was necessary for this a shout thatecome is audible to everybody. The mobilization for several years has started to reveal, to expose this issue. I would like to thank those pioneers who were the first who fought alone on this subject. They were often the object of derision. People said that your cause is a secondary cause. But you stuck to your guns and made it possible by fighting in very difficult circumstances to what we have today. So today we have freedom of expression, which there is no formalism, but we are still trying to measure the extent of the suffering. What is also difficult is that speech, of liberating our society is still culturally very sexist. It is a society in many places of the republic and our society that is still daytoday brutality, this violence, and this taboo is not neutral. The dominating behavior is the cause of unacceptable behavior such as harassment and violence. Fight against violence, the most extreme expression of the domination of one gender over forher, is the fight equality of genders. Recently, it was revealed that something wasnt working in our society. The illegitimate shame these women feel, already victims of an equality of inequality. The shame ofbecome the authors of such crimes, a civic and political shame, a national shame. The republic, by failing to illuminate this violence, has failed in its aim of protecting citizens and restoring and maintaining a respect, dignity, and sense of justice in the not integratedes into the mindsets of these people who are not criminals like ordinary criminals. They are fathers, brothers, employers, colleagues, husbands, partners. To thest of them belong close entourage of the victims. They are ordinary citizens to whom we havent been able to implicate the basic values of our social life. None of those rules, none of the ,rinciples taught in schools and our history, and our laws, has shed light on their minds. They are citizens who we considered to be honorable, who often lead normal lives, but whose behavior is a dishonor to france. In our daytoday lives, a kind of barbaric behavior which we have tried to repress, which we have dared not to even mention because we dont what to recognize this troubling violence which we are talking about, that is why for a long French Literature illustrates this. We didnt talk about this taboo subject. We knew who we were talking about, but we couldnt mention it. We couldnt raise the issue. Woman dies every three days of such violence in france. We must all feel responsible for this. , following the indifference and silence, i propose this morning to focus on sophie,respect for fatima, catherine. I cannot mention all the names. 120 three women died in 2016 from sexist violence. Lets take a minute of silence in tribute to these women who have been victims of violence. I would like to pay tribute to a great observer of human behaviors, and with great precision and the strength, she highlighted what in our society had developed into, with cultural explanations, this domination, this inequality between genders. She highlighted the fact that it was something cultural, something that was developed and justified using physical explanations, logic, to legitimize the domination of men over women. And when all of this has been developed, we have to deconstruct all of this. But it has been constructed for centuries, so it takes time. It will take time. We need to be humble to deconstruct. That is the task we now have to undertake. The men who rape, who are violent, often choose to do so in places where women should feel secure. In the home, and their workplaces, and public spaces where they think, and the public transport for example, we have to focus on these areas. These sanctuaries have become the areas where predators can use and exploit their superiority or authority of their rank and assert their physical strength. Of domination right of violence because they have moral or hierarchical authority. They think raping a woman or being violent towards a woman, attacking her identity or her personality, these are the women who then feel ashamed. I say this to all the men of the republic. The dignity which is being the. Adicted is share of humanity which is being is the it is these share of humanity which is being reduced. That is why it is indispensable that the shame should change side. The republic should do what it must do to make sure that the daytoday criminals who harass, shoulda grass aggress be identified, condemned, given due process, but not without any excuse. What is at stake is the republic intact. We dont want to be one of those countries where womens rights are not respected. I want to promote this high standard, the strength of the republic. Onont want a society based squealing on your neighbors and so forth. I dont want us to fall into a ratting onlying and our neighbors. Through theantee rule of law and making people responsible in front of our Justice System. The strength of our republic is based on civility, based on equal relationships between men and women. We must look at each other. We must be together. We must build together. And i dont want to have relationships where every relationship is a source of suspicion of domination. We are not a puritanical society which other forms of inequality have been cultivated in the past. We have to preserve our republic. We must restore the sense of dignity which i have been talking about, and make sure the shame changes cap. For this purpose i have made the commitment that my fiveyear terms cause should be the equality of men and women. The first of this is the complete elimination of violence against women. We must mobilize the resources, take action which is on a path with the budget for the secretary of state in charge of gender equality will be increased and reached the highest level ever. The financial grants are already rising by 13 and will be preserved throughout my fiveyear term, and will not be the object of any cuts at all. Beyond this, the interdepartmental budget dedicated to gender equality because this action if thats many other Government Departments will also be raised to reach 420 Million Euros by 2018. This action cannot be reduced to figures, however. It is first of all the governments action, and i would like to thank the Prime Minister and five of his ministers for being present with us here today. I know you are very busy people. Your presence here shows your commitment and your will to take action. This proof that the government is fully mobilized to hide the determination of the government. There is another deeper reason. This fight and must be the fight of the entire nation and the mobilization of the whole of our nation beyond the mobilization of the government and its departments. We are going to undertake action based on three priorities. The first priority, education and the cultural fight in favor of gender equality. Secondly, to better support the victims. And the third priority, to strengthen our repressive means, our legal frameworks, laws, and regulations. The liberation of speech, the freedom of speech and the openness with which we discuss this shows that it is our , and towhich is ill fight against this state of society we must act before it is too late, before our children who have been educated in the light of certain stereotypes and roles they have materialized will reduce the inequalities between boys and girls, between women and men. Fighting against the violence against women is a cultural fight which aims to disseminate the culture of equality. That is the fight which is at stake. Boys, girls, men, women, enable us to deeply change our mindset. Undertakey i want to an assertive policy of fighting against violence against women. There are several levers for this fight. The main lever for fighting against violence against women is education. Education inequality, which begins in the nursery. The nursery is where children start their first social relationships and where the representations which are shared will have an impact on their future. The professional specialists in childhood must be trained to fight against stereotypes, including stereotypes in the minds of very small children. As early as possible, our Education System must fight against the stereotypes that of theate the domination males over the females. The personnel who teach in the Nursery Schools and primary schools and kindergartens and throughout the training is an indispensable pillar to fighting against these representations. In my view, we are not aiming at denying the differences between sex to confuse everything. It is to come to terms with this difference which is an asset, which should not lead to unbearable inequality, which is a cultural determinism and which is, in fact, a social construct of our history. Value ofo preserve the the real differences between men and women, and to remind absolute equality is nonnegotiable between the two sexes. Theres a lot of work to be done in this regard because the environment in which young and children are often exposed to violence in video to annihilateend enemies, and television and radio programs provide models to children where the roles of girls and boys and the young men and women are very socially predetermined. The women are used as sex , playing onertising prejudices relating to the bodies of women as tools for marketing purposes. , the representations school must help children to analyze, to understand, to put into perspective. They mustnt particularly accept the models which are peddled by various forces. This is important for the training of teachers. There are nonprofit ,rganizations dedicated to this doing wonderful work in this regard, and this has been mentioned. Nonprofit organizations have a role to play in the schools, and leisure activities, and of course with the parents as well. This is the reality which i described just now, which must track ofo better keep the content of the unacceptable content to which our children are exposed and which lead to we refuse. Iors the publicsector audiovisual channels are dedicated to promoting educational content the authorityand that is in charge of communication in france will be regulating the content of our audiovisual channel and to find a void that the most unworthy behaviors are supported by indirect propaganda. We must also review the changes in certain habits. The younger people watch Television Much less than their elders, and this behavior has to be taken into account. Accesse dont regulate to video games, internet content, pornographic content, which is more and more disseminated today. In 2018 under the authority of the Prime Minister and with the commitment of the minister of justice, we must rethink and review the framework of how we regulate content, particularly audiovisual content, taking into and to digital changes extend the powers of the regulatory authorities so that thisindispensable control, elementary care by the republic of certain content, will be focused on all of the content that can have negative impact and lead to violence against women. Schools must also identify the main channels of dissemination, exposedetworks all too to these behaviors which are reprehensible. So we must put in place prevention of cyber harassment, and in 2018 changes will be made to our laws not only to prevent tos, but to continue and make legally accountable the people who implement this content. On agar fee pornography is much appreciated by the digital channels. Consumption of pornography has become very popular. We must tackle this phenomenon which we have refused to look at because it is embarrassing for the parents and sometimes the teachers as well. We must raise the awareness of toents at the next meeting help parents better detect the exposure of their children to pornography and to better identify signs of cyber harassment. The staff and personnel of health care, social, the schools must be trained in analyzing, explaining, as they have learned to do with other problems. Today, pornography has succeeded its limits and is now being disseminated in schools, as is war, as is consumption of alcohol. Deplore violence against women and close our eyes to the impacts that the media has on young people where sexuality is a source of humiliating of women, and this education cannot be limited to the younger generation. This education must also focus on it teachers and all of those engaged in a dialogue with young language describe the that will help to foster an understanding instead of a relationship perverted by certain stereotypes. All the training organizations and schools who train Civil Servants or future staff of Public Services will be particularly trained in setting a good example. ,he state, the Public Services every day we must be in the field setting an example. In 2018 a Training Program will be deployed in the publicsector focusing particularly on the training of managers and supervisors. In all public sector, training modules dedicated to the prevention of sexism and the fight against violence and harassment will be introduced. Similar modules will be introduced for permanent, preventingning violence, changing the cultural act,work in which we identity Public Service to better protect women today. For this purpose i wish, for example, these are very practical issues. Those who organize Public Services must look at all the details, for example, in terms of transport. What has been initiated in several towns and cities, buses can now stop when the women ask. A woman can ask a bus to stop. It has been tested in bordeaux and other cities. , we ask people to wait in bus stops and expose of theo the dangers streets, so we must transform the behaviors of people on a daytoday basis of the Public Service to change things gradually so that the vulnerability of certain theations, we must provide protection necessary and be better organized. This vigilance, this mobilization, we will particularly in sure that it exists in our overseas territories. Women isagainst widespread in our overseas territories, and has sometimes geographicald by or cultural pretexts. The territory of the republic is one territory. It is not because you happen to orpolynesia or kiana guyana, or that you can look at inequality in a different way. Will bening campaign very demanding and overseas territories as it will be in france. Adapting Public Services to these new rules will be very important, and the education will be strengthened because we really need to do so. Generally speaking it is the whole of society which must be involved in this cultural fight. The state must commit itself. It is his responsibility to set an example. The state is capable of changing representation and of raising awareness as campaigns in the past have shown that the impact, for example, and road safety we have had success in an enhancing road safety. We are going to launch the first onor campaign on this topic the National Level as you saw in the video clip. It aimed at the whole of society, this campaign will have several objectives. To raise collective where hotline likee 3919. Which ago, the websites to have access to information to stop violence from women, raising societys awareness of violence and raising the sense of responsibility of witnesses of people who witness violence against women. These are day to day bringing behaviors where we must restore citizenship and give substance to the sense of citizenship and the state will compete with that. Want testing campaigns to be in the recruitment process. I want a review of recruitment processes in order to identify how discrimination occurs in recruitment processes. I think private companies, which have set an example by committing themselves to reviewing the recruitment process in the role of the state is to mobilize enterprises as thatholders and check there is no stigmatization. The state has a great responsibility. Society is not reducible to the state. The state, alone, cannot change. Publicure of countries authorities will be calling on advertisers, the media, gamers, the world of fashion, cosmetics, etc. To keep inking of helping represent women and the role of women. ,embers of Civil Society enterprises, nonprofit organizations, professional bodies together, we will win this cultural battle. Ofause each of our test each us, the daily choices we make and how we express ourselves and our commitments will take into to fosteris duty dignity and equality. That we will win the cultural battle. Those of you here, you are the first to first representatives to relay this pact for equality between men and women. We must make sure that violence we must lead a battle in terms of culture and education wherever we are. What is at stake is the future of our society. Which onight on with the state can do a lot is in favor of the victims of suing people in front of the court is not easy when you are dealing with your superior. Ornot easy for women to sue complain our file complaints with people they depend on when they are afraid of reprisals. Out of the 225,000 women who were victims, one out of five put in a claim or complaint. Half of them did nothing after being the victim. They did not contact a professional working for a nonprofit association. We have a lot of progress to make in taking care of victims. We need to help them overcome the fear and shame the field. ,e will be setting up a system and online system, which would allow victims to identify. Victims will be able to get advice and support from their policeefore they contact stations or associations. This identification tool will be and therem next year will be interactive immediate interactive discussions to allow personalized exchanges with a Police Officer who has been trained who is available around the clock, seven days a week. The introduction of this identification online identification, reporting system will be conducted by the ministry of the interior. It will lead to professional training, the organization of an integrated platform and with joint work with all of the nonprofit organizations, which will be mobilized to foster the use of this platform in order to help people to act and get the support they need to do so. Theust also identified women who are victims of violence. Several of you have mentioned this. Lets not forget that, before you file a complaint, there are signs that are sometimes attempts made opportunities to be made. For example, if you fall on the staircase. All of those moments where the opportunity exists to talk and we have not and the opportunity was not taken because people were unaware or did not dare or did not want to talk. Often professionals are the first, on the frontline, to be in contact with victims. Either because they go to the Emergency Departments with injuries or because they contact the professionals in question. How can professionals must review their practices. Systematic questioning of women must be generalized regarding harassment and violence by all healthy professionals. Health care professionals must ask the women they see for the first time if they are or have been victims of violence or harassment with the freedom, of course, of a doctor or health care professional. This can be the starting point of the recognition of the freedom of expression of the victims. Then, we must provide better support. A path whichhave must not be an obstacle path. I want to clearly say that, when a woman is a victim of violent, all of the players that she needs, all of the stakeholders must support our. It is not for the victim, who is. Uffering, who is feeling shame it is not for her to feel obliged and recognize that she is a victim to repeat three or four times are five times what happened to her to a Police Officer. If she is taken care of in an accident or emergency department, she must not be obliged to have to go the following day to the Police Station and make her path harder. We have to provide these women with psychological help. Violence also has a devastating psychological effect. There are five times more suicide attempts among women who have been victims of violent. They lose four or five years of life expectancy. That weorganize the way take care of the psychological and traumatic dimensions of the victims in 2018. In hospitals, we will create forial units and caring women suffering from psychological traumas. We must also help people to rebuild their lives. In this area, france has great skills and 10 specialized units will be set up in metropolitan france. These will be pilot schemes. At the same time, pairings for social and psychological traumas will be covered by the Social Security system. There is a lot at stake in health care are in health care obligations. You mentioned, also, women in our society who are victims of another form of violent. Women wedefend will defend the universal right of women. There is nothing that can france will be firm and its commitment. Check that french we who are subject to will identify those who practice this. We will support all of the organizations that take care of women and margaret women who ask for asylum, who are fleeing forr country from excision themselves or their daughters. Of a lot is at stake in health institutions, and medical, legal and forensics, we will allow people to provide evidence and facilitate its important to facilitate filing a complaint is complicated procedure. To defendlp victims their cause, make it easier for them to file a complaint. There will be reference people,. Pecialists the nonprofit organizations, charities also have an Important Role to play. Aey have volunteers on daytoday or night and day basis protect people. They are the guarantors who make sure that they keep an eye on people whose behavior is reprehensible. It is indispensable that there is greater cooperation between the Law Enforcement organization. So that people can file a complaint in the special centers. People are afraid to go to Police Stations. People feel ashamed, afraid of leaving home to go file a complaint. Will see specialists who will be there to link their victims with the systems. In other words, the Justice System will reach out to the women concerned. This must be generalized in Civil Society. The workplace must also be a place where victims feel protected and listened to. Alas isplace, laugh a place where its important to not let the Predator Free to act. Grasses and rapists are still ,overed by a kind of shameful moral relativism, taboo. Companies and public and Government Departments must take their responsibilities. The minister of labor wrote a letter to all partners, inviting them to submit their ideas to improve the prevention of forensic sexist violence. I would like to organize multilateral meetings of the agents of the Prime Minister on this subject. Strengthentime, will the labor expectorant powers in investigating sexual or sexist violence will be the priority of the labor expectorant. The workplace is where the administration can set up listening points to keep track of the victims of discrimination to give victims the ability to speak in a place where they are not under the pressure of the hierarchy or local authorities. We will create a digital application to facilitate the assistance given to people who are victims of cyber violence, cyber harassment. Hotline is a national for victims, women who are victims of violence. And also their entourage would develop this digital application. It is important to allow freedom of speech in this area. Speaking out must not be seen as exposing yourself to more danger, more risk. On the contrary, it must be greater security. We must reinforce our Law Enforcement. Entrusted that the first sexist violence the neat it in the street. Many women complain of harassment in the street and many harassers practice wolf whistling and stigmatizing women in the street verbally. For a long time, people reacted with indifference. People did not respond when they were witnesses of sexual harassment. This is unacceptable. Feel comfortable in public spaces. All public spaces must be open to women. Women in the republic must not be afraid of using public spaces. The street should not allow should not become hell for the women of france. This is the one of the police, thef the minister of the interior will result in new measures in a few weeks time. We will also be creating a will give the police the right to issue fines if there is an attack on a woman , verbal aggression does not lead to women going to Police Stations. They feel the police are busy, they do not feel even if they do go to the Police Station, also often the Police Officers give up. They do not consider that it is of importance, the complaints of women are not important. Even if the claim, filed and accepted, the magistrate does not give priority. The judges do not give priority. It takes longer for discrimination or harassment to be dealt with. Very often, the complaints are discharged. The victims are not supported. We must give Law Enforcement authorities the possibility of acting immediately and responding immediately to correct or repair, to restore the dignity of the victims. This will be the purpose for this new offense of sexist aggression, verbal aggression. Police will have a role to play. Sphere, theicial time given his far too often limited by the statute of limitations. , whothe victims are minor have suffered a lot psychologically, there is a statute of limitations has a negative effect. Have horrid stories content that nobody talks about. Sometimes, that have been mentioned to a brother or sister or mother. But then they are forgotten, not repressedhidden away,. We thought they were forgotten. In fact, the memories are still there. They come out. They come out to the surface many years later and they explain the impact this had on the lives of the people. This lack of verbal expression. When the words are expressed, they must have some effect. We have decided to lengthen the statue of limitations that applies to sexual offenses and thed against minors aim is to extend the statute of two 30 20 rom 20 years. 0 should an 11yearold child be considered to be consenting to a sexual act, have the right to consent. Our critical our criminal code is ambiguous in this regard. The magistrates must be free to interpret the law, that the law must set limits. Have affairs, these cases revealed a legal loophole which we wish to end. We wish to send a clear law that we cannot accept the presumption of consent should be applied in such a vague way when the sexual relationship is between an adult and a minor. We have looked at the limits, the age limit in other countries , 12, 13, 14. As a sensitive issue, of course. There will be a social debate in parliament, there will be a debate. Pertains toid it the conscience of each of us. You must be tackled with seriousness and a very sensitive way. Is thatnal conviction allow it to be based on the law of 15 years. In the majority, the age of consent should be 15. In order to protect minors, this consumption presumption must be set in mall in law. Justiceser of consultation must be continued. I have given you my personal conviction. I have shared my personal conviction with you, my deeply held view on the subject. All of the measures and commitment which i have just reviewed. The first announcement of a major action plan, which will cover the whole of my fiveyear mandate, which will be fueled by new initiatives to ensure quality and better fight against violence. It is not just a matter of saying or making a speech on everything that we are going to do and not following up. Youfight, which many of have been engaged in for a long time, i want you to all know that you are no longer alone. The government is at your side. The Prime Minister, the minister, the president of the republic are with you. E think it is a key fight it reflects a society and the negative side of society, the acceptance of unruly behavior, hidden behavior, is very negative. It gives the negative view of society, which is not a good response from the republic. We want to mobilize the whole of the nation in favor of gender equality, which we will continue in service of changing the law or creating businesses, quality in the media. This fight begins by eradicating illuminating violence against women. Prerequisite,. We will be taking cultural, educational, health care and Law Enforcement initiatives and it involves all of you. Win of fight we must daytoday violence. But also the perverted representations of the relationships between men and women. Otherwise, we will accept this on really trend in our society. In the past, we have sometimes succeeded in mobilizing citizens. We successfully fought against certain causes which we thought were impossible to defend. Safety. Ple, road we have been successful in improving frances record in the field of road safety. Similarto do something for this fight against violence against women. This collective awareness across , allhole of Society Citizens will support. We will act without any weaknesses. What is at stake are our values and perception of the republic. Therefore, we are celebrating the elimination of violence. This will be the great cause of my five year plan. There will be priorities. Be thest priority will fight against sexual and sexist violence. I will be keeping track of the progress of this great cause to turn the society and zamora gal italian, more just. I know i can count on your vigilance, your consciousness and you will share with us your disappointments if we are not up to it. One night, a famous writer wrote a letter to his mother. He was discouraged. , hehe middle of the night described the moment which he feel i have a sense i amdiscovering encouraged. He described this in the following way. This is what we are experiencing. Where i it is a moment can clearly see the truth and where we discover the power of. Ope this is what we owe to all women , the clarity of the truth. And the reparation, which must be done to prevent, deconstruct, prevent and justices and deconstruct the causes of this injustice. There is the power of hope. The hope that the republic supports. The hope that you are fight expresses those of you who have been fighting in favor of this for a long time. If i can restore the power of felt some of you probably alone. Some of you have felt attacked. Sometimes you have suffered through not being heard. There were public can restore the hope, each of you will do so. Bit more every day you will be able to count on my commitment, the commitment of the government. It is the combat we have chosen to conduct. Thank you. Minnesota senator out franken spoke to reporters as he returned to work for the First Time Since being accused of multiple incidents of sexual misconduct. He said he felt guilt and shame about the allegations and would work hard to