Sexism remains at “alarming” levels in France across the board, according to an official report that says the situation is getting worse, especially among young women.

The report says women are falling victim to new forms of harassment, including online violence, verbal abuse on social media and “barbaric” pornography.

The study also found that during the #MeToo movement, there was an unprecedented backlash from men online on social media, with most attempting to belittle, discredit and silence women.

“Situations of discrimination, violence and harassment in France have reached alarming proportions,” the report says.

A study of 2,500 people by the High Commission for Equality (HCE), an advisory body, found that sexist behavior is on the rise “in all sectors” and many men believe violence is acceptable.

The study showed that older men remained “stuck” in conservative views on the roles of men and women in society, while younger men sometimes showed aggressive tendencies.

Among women aged 18-24 surveyed, 22% said they experienced “psychological control or excessive jealousy” from their partner, and 15% were beaten by their partner or ex-partner. This percentage has risen to 20% among women aged 50-64.

More than 1/3 have experienced sex without consent

More than a third – 37% – of the women surveyed said they had sex without consent.

When the data was analyzed, HCE found that 33% of the women surveyed had sex when they didn’t want to but their partner insisted, 12% had unprotected sex after their partner insisted – this figure rises to 18% in the 25 age group -34 years.

Of the female respondents aged 18 to 24, 22% said they had been sexually assaulted or raped.

Even though people are aware of violence and discrimination following the #MeToo movement, “gender bias and stereotypes, sexist stereotypes and everyday sexism are still pervasive in society,” HCE found.

From the sexism that women face every day to its most violent manifestations, there is a constant “wave of violence,” the report says, pointing to clear signs that women’s fundamental rights, especially sexual and reproductive rights, are being eroded. Worldwide.

Elsewhere in the survey, 93% confirmed that men and women are treated differently in at least one aspect of their lives: at work, in a public place, at school, or in the family.

80% of women surveyed said they were mistreated at work, while only 37% of men said the same.

A whole mindset that needs to change

Fabienne El Khoury, spokeswoman for the feminist group Osez Le Féminisme, called the situation “depressing, but not surprising.”

“We view sexism as a deeply rooted problem. It’s not just wage and pension discrimination or the growing number of femicides that are the visible tip of the iceberg, but the whole mindset that needs to change,” said El Khoury.

Source: Guardian