Hundreds of protesters gathered in central Paris on Saturday to raise awareness and demand tougher action on femicides in France.
Yelling “Enough” and carrying signs reading “Stop femicides” or “The planet needs women alive”, the crowd took to the Place de la Republique square as part of the demonstration organized by various women’s rights NGOs to protest the rate of femicides, the killing of a woman by a man because of her gender.
The women of all ages and a few men also observed 74 seconds of silence in tribute to the 74 women allegedly killed in France so far this year, according to data collected by Facebook group “Femicides par compagnons ou ex” (Femicides by partners or exes). It said four were killed this week.
Read Also: A No-deal Brexit would be catastrophic for Britain – France
“It’s a massacre,” Julie Gayet, a French actress and partner of former French President Francois Hollande, said at the protest. “We need to raise awareness on what’s happening today, which means that despite society’s evolution, there’s a step backward, and even more women are dying today.”
In an interview with weekly Journal du Dimanche, French Gender Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa said the government in September will launch a broad consultation to draft new measures to prevent femicides.