PM ELISABETH BORNE UNVEILS INTERMINISTERIAL PLAN FOR GENDER EQUITY 2023-27

USPA NEWS - On the eve of International Women's Rights Day, 97th of March, 2023) the Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, announces the deployment of an interministerial plan for equality between women and men.

This plan, is part of the Great cause of the two five-year terms of the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and is articulated around four main axes:

1. The fight against violence against women;
2. women's health;
3. Professional and economic equality;
4. The culture of equality.
The forty six pages document, is composed of a hundred measures which will begin to apply during the five-year term, this plan aims to continue the proactive policy pursued by the Government for six years." Source Prime Minister Office.
The document shows very little consideration o the disabled women who happened to be the most exposed to the violence (80%). It is aimed to be presented discussed during the council of Minister, the symbolic day of 8 March, the International Women's Day

THE FIGHT AGAINST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS THE PILLAR OF THIS PLAN Measures will make it possible to break the isolation of the victims and to accompany them everywhere on the territory. By 2024, each department will have a women's center, a comprehensive care structure for women victims of all types of violence, backed by a hospital center, where complaints can also be collected. The "new start pack" will also be gradually deployed for women who have to leave their home or who prefer to stay there after the eviction of the ex-spouse. The complexity and specificity of domestic violence make it necessary to train all actors. Taking up the first orientations of the mission entrusted by the Prime Minister to two parliamentarians, Emilie CHANDLER and Dominique VÉRIEN, the plan provides for the deployment of specialized centers in each jurisdiction. The Keeper of the Seals will specify the concrete implementation methods by the summer. The file for the protection of victims of domestic violence, whose deployment is planned from the end of 2023 with data relating to the perpetrator, will eventually be enriched with data relating to the victim. Specific works of general interest for violence against women will be deployed in different territories to raise awareness among perpetrators and limit the risk of recidivism. On the axis of women's health and in the extension of the policy pursued by the Government during the last five years with the national strategy to combat endometriosis, this plan proposes a global approach in favor of women's health." Source Prime Minister's Office

AMONG THE MEASURES

"The consequences due to miscarriages will be better taken into account with the elimination of the waiting period from the first day of sick leave.
To fight against menstrual precariousness, reusable period protection will be reimbursed for women up to 25 years of age.
Regarding the professional and economic equality pillar, the plan strengthens the role of companies and the public service in achieving equal pay and equal access to positions of responsibility. The professional equality index will apply to the entire public service and the balanced appointment systems will be strengthened.

To put an end to prejudice, it is essential to spread and transmit a culture of equality. This is the purpose of the fourth and final axis of the plan, which provides in particular for support for the creation of a museum of feminisms and overall support for 10,000 young girls to integrate digital and tech professions." Source Prime Minister's Office

THE DISABLED WOMEN VERY LITTLE CONSIDERED

The question was asked about the serious situation of disabled women, who according to official figures from the national barometer (source: handiconnect, Defender of Rights), four out of five women, i.e. 80% of disabled women have suffered violence (harassment, abuse , sexual assault, etc.) and that 16% of them filed a complaint for rape, due to their female gender and their vulnerability.

As for the double penalty which consists in being discriminated against in access to employment, according to Agefiph and Cape Emploi, because only four disabled women out of ten (10) are active compared to men. The fact of being a woman and moreover disabled, multiplies by 6 the chance of not being employed.

These two alarming situations of vulnerable women due to illness and or recognized disability, do not seem to be included in the real interministerial plan from 2033 to 2027, announced by the Prime Minister. The response from the Prime Minister's office, whose brief, which lasted 35 minutes, never mentioned the word disability, as if it were a taboo...was astonishing... "Disability is managed by the Minister for Disability Mrs. Darieussec, who is very attached to this cause" (Minister of Disablity) In reality, the identity of the disabled woman who is raped or abused, although this figure of 80%, may frighten the statistics, is reduced to her disability. Her very identity as a woman is erased, to the point of not being considered in this Plan and in the proud presentation of gender equality at the Prime Ministry office. An abused, or harassed, or raped woman should receive the same consideration if not extracare when she is made vulnerable by her illness or disability.

THE INTERMINISTERIAL PLAN MENTIONS VERY LITTLE ACTIONS FOR DISABLED WOMEN, 80% SUFFERING VIOLENCE
In the 46-page document, of the Interministerial Plan entitled "all and all equal", did not provide for a section dedicated to this serious situation for women with disabilities but was mentioned three times, on page 32 "Preventing sexist or sexual violence against vulnerable women (age,
disability, mental disorders, etc. in a sub-section alongside the sexual mutilation section.... Then on page 34 it boils down to "Strengthening the territorial network of the regional centers for psychotrauma, harmonizing their practices and encouraging Page 37 " Accompanying health professionals to raise their awareness of obtaining the consent of women with disabilities for contraceptive procedures (resource sheets, support from the disability referent in establishments toilets, etc.).
It is therefore better not to be a woman and disabled in France in order to hope to garner consideration, and the interest that violence against women, added to the abuse of weaknesses, be really repressed and prevent future attacks.

For information, Every year, feminicides are on the rise in France and 106 feminicides in France between the beginning of 2022 and the end of December 2022. Between January 1 and December 26, 2022, 106 women died in France, killed by their spouse or ex-spouse, according to the count of the collective "Feminicides by companion or ex".

THE « GRENELLE » SUMMIT FOR VIOLENCE IN 2019 WAS CONSIDERED HOPELESS BY THE ASSOCIATIONS FOR WOMEN’S DEFENSE & AGAINST VIOLENCES In 2019, Marlene Schiappa, was the Minister of gender equity, closed up, the « Grenelle on domestic violence » which began on September 3, 2019. After three months of expert consultations (associations, law enforcement, health professionals, etc.), Edouard Philippe presented new measures in addition to the 10 emergency measures already announced on September 3 at the opening of the Grenelle. During his speech, the Prime Minister notably declared: “One of the first successes of the Grenelle on domestic violence was to break the chain of silence and free the voices of victims and their relatives, associations, institutions, experts , police, magistrates”. Minister Marlene Schiappa, back then, (very inaccessible, not responding to any of our requests to her ministry), had visited a shelter for women victims of violence and presented several measures, in front of the TV cameras, and even signed a charter for better coordination between 3919 and 115 so that women who are victims of violence are brought to safety as quickly as possible. A few months later, the 3919, proved to be non-responsive because the alleged hotline does not respond outside daytime hours, and does not provide any assistance to disabled women suffering from violence and referred to hospital emergencies by a service of technical reception coming from empathy….

The final report was seen, very disappointing by the associations of dense women, faced with this "Grenelle of legality of women-men" under the Slogan « Stop the violence » (Grenelle means Summit at Grenelle, Parisian area, close to Eiffel tower) and even drawing up the inaction of this minister currently Minister of Solidarity and Social Economy (still inaccessible to our media, and disability association). Four years later, the "All Equal Plan" seems once again to abandon some of the most vulnerable part of the French Society, the women who have impairment, knowing that they represent 15% of the French population hen it comes to disability…