They raise their voices against domestic violence.
The association of rural mayors of Yvelines published, this Friday, a musical clip entitled “The Men's Choir”, in which 16 mayors from the south of the department sing the song to raise awareness about intra-family violence.
The performance alternates solos and choruses, with more or less ease but in a palpable good atmosphere, to the tune of
“I'll Stand by You”
by the Pretenders.
A video that responds to a previous clip of their female counterparts made last year, for the same purpose.
They then covered the song
“Cœur”
by Clara Luciani.
“We said to ourselves that it would be good for men to also carry this voice, and show that this cause is close to all of us,” agrees Laurent Louesdon, singer for a day and mayor (SE) of La Queue-lez- Yvelines.
A date not chosen at random
As victims of domestic violence are predominantly women – 77% in the case of physical violence, and 85% for sexual violence, according to an INSEE study in 2021 – March 8, International Women's Rights Day, fell under the meaning for the publication of the video.
“This date gives even more resonance because of the particular attention paid today to violence against women,” confirms Sylvain Lambert, president of the association and mayor (SE) of Rochefort-en-Yvelines.
Not just a communication stunt, the video also aims to shine the spotlight on ERRE (“elected rural equality relay”), a system launched two years ago and which has 30 representatives in the department.
They receive victims of all types of violence within the family unit, and work with state services and associations in the face of the “real lack of emergency housing in rural areas” that Sylvain Lambert deplores.
“The message is:
don’t hesitate to come to the town hall
,
it’s a local community center that can help free people to speak out
,” explains Laurent Louesdon.