It is a symbolic publication, on this International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Voted in February in Parliament, the decree implementing the law establishing emergency financial assistance for victims of domestic violence appeared in the Official Journal this Saturday, November 25. Awarded based on income and family situation, this aid can be paid from December 1, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne announced the day before.
A woman victim of domestic violence presenting “a complaint or a protection order can request assistance ranging from 250 euros to more than 1,300 euros”, the Minister responsible for Equality between women and men said this Saturday, Bérangere Couillard. This is “direct aid paid in three to five days by the Family Allowance Fund (CAF)”, she added on France 2.
Shelter support
This aid should enable victims of domestic violence “to meet their urgent expenses in the event of shelter and separation, while waiting to find lasting solutions, to access existing aid and to benefit from support social”, specifies the government in a press release. It will be modulated according to the victim’s resources and their needs (taking into account for example the presence and number of dependent children), according to a scale specified in the decree published in the Official Journal.
The government will also test a “new start pack” in five departments, with a CAF agent responsible for “organizing, with local associations, the departure of women”, continued Bérangère Couillard. “There are still too many back and forths before women can permanently leave the home and therefore separate from their attacker.” Élisabeth Borne promised on Friday the examination in the National Assembly of a bill establishing an “immediate” protection order.
Safety in public transport and VTC
At the same time, the government also announced that it wanted to strengthen the protection of women on public transport, and launch an awareness campaign against gender-based and sexual violence. Costed at one million euros, the communication operation “against the aggressors, let’s look up” will aim, for one month, to alert people to verbal and physical attacks.
On the private transport side, Minister Clément Beaune also announced on Friday a series of measures concerning taxis and VTCs. “Today, we are further strengthening our arsenal of protection for women in transport, by excluding from the profession of taxi and VTC driver any person who has been the subject of a sexist or sexual conviction . It’s common sense: zero tolerance,” he said.
Consent awareness
In addition to these exclusion measures and “the broadening of the conditions of restriction of access to the profession”, the minister announced “the strengthening of driver training”, with the integration from 2024 of an “awareness module to attacks of a sexist and sexual nature”, intended for new entrants to the profession but also for practicing drivers thanks to continuing training.
For her part, the Minister of Higher Education and Research, Sylvie Retailleau, announced on Friday the deployment of a budget of 1.8 million euros to support the projects of 60 associations involved in the fight against gender-based and sexual violence, according to a press release. The consent awareness campaign “Without yes, it’s forbidden” will also be renewed in establishments for a year.
In a video posted on social networks this Saturday morning, the President of the Republic declared: “The persistence of violence against women is not inevitable, we must put an end to it and we will do so.” Before listing the actions implemented: expansion of 3919 hours, establishment of a digital support platform, facilitation of filing complaints, increase in the number of dedicated investigators, among others.