Unfortunately, sexual harassment is a common phenomenon that many women all around the world experience at some point in their lifetime. A 2015 study found that one in three women have been sexually harassed and that 71% did not report it. In light of recent reports of sexual assault on social media by women, the French government is considering passing legislation to ultimately put an end to sexual assault.
The French government is considering implementing fines for men that are aggressively catcalling or behaving inappropriately toward women in public, extending the statute of limitations in cases of sexual assault towards minors, and to establish a new age ceiling under which minors can legally consent to sex.
Gender Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa said she has been setting up workshops across France to discuss this proposed bill. The fine amount has not been established, but she said it should not be too high so offenders will be able to pay immediately when charged by the police. A parliamentary group of five lawmakers is studying the new law, which lawmakers are expected to vote on in 2018.
The recent outpour of reports by French women comes shortly after the massive response to sexual assault by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in the United States. Women have used social media as a platform to spread awareness about accounts of sexual harassment and abuse, using hashtags #BalanceTonPorc (“Expose Your Pig”) and #MeToo on Twitter.
French journalist Sandra Muller started the #BalanceTonPorc hashtag for women to share their experiences through the power of social media. Muller described how with the barrier created by a screen, [the hashtag] can help people speak out. The French first lady, Brigitte Macron, has congratulated victims of sexual harassment for sharing their stories and has expressed optimism about the response to the Weinstein scandal.
Ultimately, with the massive response to the social media trend, women are spreading major awareness about social harassment worldwide. Knowledge is power; with over 300,000 accounts of sexual harassment being posted about on Twitter in the past week, hopefully the French government passes legislation to put an end to sexual harassment.