PARIS — Braving biting cold, thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Paris and cities across France on Saturday, demanding urgent action and greater public funding to confront the country’s persistent epidemic of violence against women.
In the capital, an enormous crowd estimated at 50,000 by organizers and 17,000 by police; marched through the city with signs, chants, drums, and songs. The demonstration was organized by Grève Féministe, a coalition of roughly 60 groups committed to combating gender-based violence.
Placards from the feminist collective NousToutes carried stark reminders of the crisis. “A man kills a woman every 2.5 days in France,” one read. Another stated, “Nine out of 10 victims know their rapist.”
“It’s 2025; is it still normal that we’re counting our dead women?” asked Sylvaine Grevin, president of the national femicide victims’ federation. Her sister was killed in 2017, a tragedy that pushed her into activism.
Similar protests, many bathed in purple, a color long associated with the feminist movement, were held in cities across the country. “We have the right to be loved without being abused,” said Juliette, a 20 year old student marching in Lille.
Organizers are calling for a sweeping framework law to fight gender-based violence and a dedicated annual budget of €3 billion ($3.5 billion) to fund prevention, education, and support services. They also demand expanded educational programs and stronger funding for victim-support organizations.
The urgency is underscored by newly released government data. According to MIPROF, the agency responsible for protecting women from violence, intimate-partner femicides rose 11 percent from 2023 to 2024, with 107 women killed by a spouse or former partner. The agency reports a woman is raped, sexually assaulted, or subjected to an attempted assault every two minutes in France.
The Women’s Foundation rights group estimates the government should allocate at least €2.6 billion annually to effectively protect victims, about half a percent of the national budget.
