Too little help for women from help lines

On the international day to eliminate violence against women an association to help women who are victims of abuse in France reported the lack of adequate assistance from help lines.

Paroles de Femme uploaded a ','','');return false;" href="">video that shows that the association’s president Olivia Cattan was unable to get satisfactory answers to her requests for assistance from various help lines or that the lines were engaged when she telephoned and did not subsequently return her call. Part of the problem was that she was requesting help for a woman with three children – considered too many – and one of whom was a 14-year old boy, who was considered too old. She has reported the situation to the minister for women’s rights, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem.

The minister announced a plan on 22 November to create over 1,500 new spaces for women victims of domestic violence by 2017.

Last year 148 women died as a result of domestic violence in France either at the hands of their partner or former partner.