Charlotte Euzen is a partner at the communications consultancy Tilder.
Former Secretary of State for Gender Equality and the Fight against Discrimination from 2017 to 2020, Marlène Schiappa is a partner at Tilder.
November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Gender-Based and Sexual Violence. Every year, it is estimated that more than 200,000 women are victims of domestic violence, while nearly 100,000 rapes and attempted rapes are recorded in the country. France also has 125,000 women who have undergone sexual mutilation. These statistics are not just numbers, they represent shattered lives, extinguished hopes.
While this official day of mobilization traditionally highlights the actions carried out by associations, NGOs and public authorities, more and more companies are now taking up this subject. In a world where companies inspire more trust than institutions, their commitment to this cause allows them to have a triple positive impact: it protects employees, strongly engages their customers, and resonates powerfully throughout society.
With regard to its employees, a company has legal obligations to raise awareness and provide training, in particular, since 2021, that of "taking the necessary measures to protect a worker exposed to domestic violence" which manifests itself, for example, in various companies, by the facilitated transfer of an employee pursued by her violent ex-husband.
But beyond their own teams, more and more companies are committed to serving their customers. When Orange donates phones to an association that runs a helpline for women victims of violence, the company helps to give a voice to victims, breaks the silence and provides concrete means to act.
We therefore call on all companies, regardless of their sector of activity, to support this momentum. It is our collective duty to create the conditions for a safe, respectful and emancipatory living environment for all women.
When retail companies make their available spaces available during the lockdown available to create shelters dedicated to women victims of domestic violence, they are helping to create real lifelines by offering autonomy and vital support to women in distress.
When Engie buys media space to publicize 3919, the "Violences Femmes Info" number, and systematically highlights it on each of its invoices, just as Sodebo does on each of its pizza packages, it is the entire support system for women victims of violence that benefits from undeniable and necessary attention and notoriety.
Read alsoEugénie Bastié: "When Laurent Obertone pulverizes the feminist catechism"
We applaud their commitment and ability to make a difference on these issues. All these campaigns have a direct purpose: to raise awareness about gender-based and sexual violence, to lift the silence, to raise awareness among relatives, to help women find out about the mechanisms that can support them. Today, there is an urgent need to significantly grow this movement. We therefore call on all companies, regardless of their sector of activity, to support this momentum. It is our collective duty to create the conditions for a safe, respectful and emancipatory living environment for all women.
It is not up to the private sector to create laws and mechanisms to protect women from violence: that is the job of the government. But if brands can put their notoriety, visibility and influence at the service of this cause, women will be better informed and therefore... better protected.