Protesters in Paris drew attention to major shortcomings in France’s response to domestic violence as new figures alarmed the public. Dozens gathered in central Paris on Tuesday night and condemned the surge in gender-based violence while they honoured women recently killed by partners or former partners. Activist Marie-Josée, aged 78, expressed deep concern as the crowd remembered five women murdered last week. Demonstrators voiced outrage only hours before the government received a major report urging drastic changes in how the justice system manages domestic abuse cases. Officials received the document on Tuesday, and the authors called for testing a new magistrate model dedicated entirely to intrafamilial violence. French media revealed the report earlier this week and noted that domestic abuse demands a broad, coordinated strategy. Protesters insisted that political promises achieved little, and many said women continue to experience worsening conditions. Marie-Josée said she believes equality has slipped backward since the 1990s and said she cannot understand the widespread indifference toward women, especially older ones. Her concerns reflected growing national urgency. In 2024, partners or ex-partners killed 107 women in France, an 11% rise from the previous year.
Recent data from the government’s MIPROF mission showed that each day more than three women suffer a femicide or attempted femicide, and the number continues to increase annually. Activist organisations warned that even these figures fail to show the total scale of the emergency. The government’s annual observatory reported that every seven hours a partner or ex-partner kills, attempts to kill, or drives a woman to suicide. Women aged 70 and older represented 26% of victims, marking a nine percent rise in one year. The horrifying case of 72-year-old Gisèle Pelicot, drugged by her husband and raped by dozens of men over a decade, shocked both France and the world. The case exposed a hidden truth: older women also endure sexual violence, a reality ignored for years due to sexist and ageist attitudes.
Silenced Victims and Unseen Realities
Violette, a member of the Solidaires Union who joined the Paris protest, said society often dismisses older victims because people treat them as less “marketable” than younger women. She said the Pelicot case briefly awakened public conscience before fading again, and she urged action without waiting for more media outrage. She argued that France lacks a coherent, well-funded strategy to address the crisis. Violette said organisations estimate that €3 billion a year is necessary to produce meaningful progress. Yet the government’s 2025 budget for gender equality totals only €94 million, far below what experts consider sufficient. The Council of Europe previously described France’s low prosecution rate for abusers as deeply troubling and called for stricter national measures.
Mounting Demands for Real Commitment
As Parliament studies new proposals and civil society intensifies demands for lasting investment, protesters on Tuesday night said they fear leaders still underestimate the gravity of the crisis. They stressed the urgent need for decisive funding, stronger legal tools, and a justice system capable of protecting victims before more women lose their lives.
