On the occasion of International Women's Day, collectives of feminists and their supporters took to the streets of Paris. In unison, they condemned gender inequality and violence against women.
Femicide and violence against women have become key topics of every demonstration in Paris. An average of 150 women die every year in France from domestic violence perpetrated by their current or former partners.
Two women hug each other during the demonstration of the 8th of March 2020. Around them, demonstrators carry placards inscribed with the names of all the women murdered by their partners during the last year.
The collage below appeared in Paris in February 2020. It's Lorenzo's message to his mother Françoise, murdered by his father when he was only 4 years old. A painful message, where Lorenzo invites us to reject and condemn violence against women, which often passes silently within the walls of the home.
"Elle s'appelait Françoise, c'était ma maman; divorcée de son mari pour violences physiques. Elle avait repris des études d'architecture. Elle peignait et dessinait. Elle refaisait sa vie. Son ex-mari est venu la menacer, la blesser, puis la tuer, puis s'est suicidé. Orphelin du terrorisme patriarcal comme tant d'autres. J'ai pas compris à 4 ans que mon histoire n'était pas un fait-divers mais s'inscrivait dans un rapport de domination. Depuis ce jour, je n'accepte et je n'accepterai pas que ça arrive à d'autres femmes et à d'autres enfants. Dans cette guerre contre les femmes je veux me tenir du coté des guerrières qui résistent et affrontent le patriarcat. Lorenzo”
