The government is
“sifting”
the declarations of all feminist associations linked to the bloody Hamas attack in Israel on October 7 and threatens to eliminate subsidies
“at the slightest ambiguity
,” Minister Aurore Bergé said on Sunday.
A statement which aroused the anger of feminist representatives.
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“I asked that all financially supported associations be scrutinized. If there is the slightest ambiguity about comments that were made on October 7, it would not be normal for these associations to continue to receive subsidies from the government
,” declared Aurore Bergé, responsible for Equality between women and men and the Fight against Discrimination, on Radio J.
“I refuse that the State financially supports associations which cannot characterize what happened
,” added the minister, against a backdrop of accusations of double standards targeting a part of the feminist movement which has been accused of denying or minimizing the violence committed against Israeli women by Hamas men.
Aurore Bergé declared having made this request
“this week”
to the administration from which she expects a return
“in the coming days”
.
“Being a feminist means saying things, being a feminist means supporting the women who were mutilated on October 7
,” explained the minister.
“If the tragedy that occurred on October 7 against women had occurred elsewhere, would the reactions have been stronger?
Unfortunately I fear that could have been the case
,” she said.
Feminists defend themselves from any ambiguity
#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”
.
“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 Monday at the 'AFP Amy Bah, president of #NousToutes Lille, the day after the comments of the Minister responsible for Gender Equality.
Amy Bah describes Aurore Bergé's remarks 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
. "
“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.”
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
.