France gears to outlaw wolf-whistling and street harassment
SISidomex··1 min read
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France’s government plans to outlaw macho tendencies on the streets of the country.
President Macron, who greeted members of the public visiting the Élysée Palace at the weekend, has promised to end the harassment of women in the street THIBAULT CAMUS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The new laws would outlaw men from following women in the street and repeatedly asking for their numbers, the Times reports. A working committee to that effect has been set by Marlène Schiappa, the country’s the under-secretary for gender equality, and five MPs has been asked to provide a legal definition of street harassment and to decide what penalties offenders should face.
“The idea is to characterise street harassment so that the police can impose fines on men who follow women on the streets, intimidate them and harass them in public space,” Schiappa told local newspapers. “It is a cultural struggle to bring down the tacit consensus of acceptance of violence.”
The clampdown comes after the publication of surveys showing that practically all French women have been harassed on public transport, in the street or elsewhere at some time; and during the electioneering campaigns earlier this year, President Macron had pledged to end the problem.
