The feminist collective #NousToutes described this Monday as “instrumentalization” the comments of Minister Delegate Aurore Bergé who wants to cut subsidies to feminist associations having made “ambiguous comments” on the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7.
After the bloody attack and the Israeli reprisals, the collective, and other associations and feminist figures, were strongly criticized for their “silence” on the information and testimonies reporting the rapes committed by Hamas men.
Also read October 7: the government refuses to subsidize feminist associations whose comments are deemed “ambiguous”
#NousToutes and other associations defended themselves by claiming to fight for “all women” and said they condemn “unambiguously the sexual and sexist crimes, rapes and feminicides committed by Hamas, which particularly targeted women, LGBTQIA + people and children.”
“No ambiguity.
We believe all the victims”
“There is no ambiguity on the part of feminists, we believe all the victims, we are the first to denounce all male violence against women, wherever they come from,” declared this Monday to AFP Amy Bah, president of #NousToutes Lille, the day after the comments of the Minister responsible for Gender Equality.
Amy Bah describes the comments of the Minister of Equality between Women and Men as "instrumentalization of Hamas' crimes and Israel's response in Gaza to avoid taking responsibility for the lack of resources in the fight against gender-based violence.
A backlash against feminism
“It’s a backlash (backlash against women’s rights, editor’s note) with the idea also that feminists would cost society dearly,” she added.
“We are financially independent, we do not receive public money, but this is not the case for all associations.
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The activist “recalls that associations which depend on subsidies carry out public service missions.
The State is taking responsibility for them, so it is scandalous to threaten them today, especially as it endangers the victims of violence.”
Guest on Radio J on Sunday, Aurore Bergé announced that the government was “sifting” the statements linked to the October 7 attack on all feminist associations, expressing her refusal to see the State financially support “associations which cannot not characterize what happened.
The minister said she made this request to the administration last week and expected a return “in the coming days”.