Thousands of demonstrators marched in several cities in France on Saturday (November 23) to denounce violence against women, with the trial over the mass rape of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot orchestrated by her husband as a backdrop.
In Paris, around 7,000 people took to the streets holding banners and chanting slogans ahead of Monday, which marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
"There's lots of things to change. There's the education of young boys, throughout life, we have to change things. It will be hard, but it's possible," retired teacher Michele Even said.
According to its most recent figures, France's National Observatory for Violence against Women counted 118 women being killed by their partner, equivalent to one woman every three days.
A total of 321,000 women said they were subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by their partners in 2022, and 217,000 said they were victims of either rape or sexual assault that year, according to the report.
Saturday's marches come amid the trial over the mass rape of Gisele Pelicot, organised by her husband over 10 years.
Dominique Pelicot, her husband, has admitted to drugging his wife, 71, and inviting strangers to their house to rape her while she was unconscious, in a trial that has attracted worldwide attention and turned into an examination of the pervasiveness of sexual violence.
Most of the 50 other men on trial have said they did not realise they were raping her, did not intend to rape her or put all the blame on her husband, whom they said had manipulated them.
In Avignon, where the trial is being held, hundreds of demonstrators also gathered on Saturday to express their support to Gisele Pelicot.
"We thank her for making this trial visible to the public and for showing that aggressors are not monsters in the street, they're Mr. Everybody, and we have to seriously put every one of us in question individually for things to change," Avignon demonstrator Marine Thebaud said.
A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials including Prime ...
Lithuania is teaching children how to operate drones along its border with Russia, part of efforts to bolster awareness and skills on the NATO 'Easter...
Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor and director who became a champion of independent film, died at his home in Provo, Utah, on Tuesday (16 Septem...
U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging that the newspaper published false and dam...
As Israel launches a major ground offensive in Gaza City, families of hostages and activists in Jerusalem demand the immediate release of captives, in...
France will send three Rafale fighter jets to Poland to reinforce NATO’s eastern defences, following Russian drone incursions that crossed into Polish airspace, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday.
France is once again facing political turmoil as the 'Block Everything' movement mobilises tens of thousands of protesters, disrupting railway hubs, universities, schools, and government offices.
Firefighters attempted to extinguish a blaze at a central Paris restaurant during the nationwide "Block Everything" protest on Wednesday.
Sebastien Lecornu, chosen by President Emmanuel Macron to be France's fifth prime minister in just two years, took office on Wednesday amid widespread anti-government protests that highlighted the country's deepening political crisis.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu incited these acts - accusations that Israel called scandalous.
Lithuania is teaching children how to operate drones along its border with Russia, part of efforts to bolster awareness and skills on the NATO 'Eastern flank'.
U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging that the newspaper published false and damaging information about him to interfere in the 2024 election.
As Israel launches a major ground offensive in Gaza City, families of hostages and activists in Jerusalem demand the immediate release of captives, intensifying pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Japan will not recognise a Palestinian state for the time being, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will skip a relevant meeting during the United Nations General Assembly this month, the Asahi newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed government sources.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment