On November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we will take to the streets alongside thousands of others to denounce this violence, demand ambitious political action to end it, pay tribute to the victims, and celebrate feminist struggles around the world.
Our societies are structurally patriarchal. Gender-based and sexual violence has been constructed and legitimized over centuries. In homes, on the streets, at work, in hospitals, at universities, in parliament... This violence occurs in all spaces, public and private, and in all social circles. It forms a continuum that ranges from everyday sexism to assault, rape, and murder. At the intersection of oppression, women living in precarious economic situations, women who are victims of racism, lesbophobia, biphobia, or transphobia, and women with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. This violence is not inevitable. After #MeToo, the fight has intensified, but societal and political responses are still not up to the task. That is why Equipop is calling for greater mobilization against all forms of sexist and sexual violence. On November 25 in Paris, we will march to demand that the French government take action: an annual budget of €3 billion for the fight against gender-based violence must finally be released. We will march in solidarity with women around the world who are fighting for their rights. We will march to express our strongest support for those who live in conflict zones and in societies that are becoming militarized. We will march to denounce the relentless use of women's bodies as a battlefield. Alongside numerous associations around the world, on Saturday and for as long as it takes, we will continue to take action to ensure that the fight against gender-based and sexual violence is recognized as a major political issue that requires widespread mobilization.
To learn more about Equipop and its partners' efforts to combat VSS, see also:
- The Power of Reconstruction: Life Paths of Women Survivors of Gender-Based and Sexual Violence in Burkina Faso
- “Countering masculinist discourse online” (Equipop x IGG)
- Let's break the silence (Filactions Festival in Lyon, of which Equipop is a partner)
- Gender-based violence: a guide to understanding and taking action
- VSS in West Africa: regional mobilization of feminists is underway!
