Identifying the Unacceptable: Recognising and Speaking Out Against Violence Against Women

Sexe et démocratie. De l'enjeu du consentement

Collection '54', Éditions de la MSH

Long perceived as a 'setback' in social struggles (Fraisse, 2020), feminism is now recognised as a major political, intellectual, and social force, becoming one of the key drivers of global change. Today, a central focus of feminist debate is the essential notion of consent—or more precisely, the capacity and right to give it. This concept bridges the public and private spheres, connecting feminism and democracy, and contributes to a redefinition of the latter. In this context, the limits and legitimacy of freedom are being reconsidered, while questions of equal rights are re-examined.

This scientific, cross-disciplinary, and international debate brings together diverse, sometimes contradictory perspectives, in order to deepen our understanding of consent as a reflection of women’s emancipation and gender equality in an evolving democracy. It explores ongoing tensions and nuances, while proposing ways to reconcile seemingly incompatible perspectives. The aim is to contribute to the collective reflection necessary for societal progress.

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Nouvelles Questions Féministes, volume 43, n°2 (2024)

'Public policies in response to patriarchal violence', Éditions Antipodes

What are our public institutions doing to genuinely combat patriarchal violence? Why do women continue to die from femicide, even after reporting their partner’s violence to the authorities? Why is sexual assault so widespread, so commonplace, and so rarely punished by the justice system?

It is clear that public policies are falling short of the challenge and do not meet legitimate expectations. Outrage at this situation has sparked a vast feminist mobilisation on a global scale, which in the early 2020s led to the adoption of new measures. The articles in this issue examine these measures in detail.

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Marie Mesnil is a lecturer in private law at Paris Saclay University. After completing her thesis, Rethinking Reproduction Law through the Lens of Parental Planning, she continued her research on health, family, and personal law from a gender perspective. Her recent publications focus on the recognition of LGBT+ rights and the integration of feminist issues into civil law. Alongside her academic work, she campaigns with the Information and Action Group on Reproductive and Sexual Issues to defend people’s rights in this area.

Annie Ferrand is a clinical psychologist with initial training in psychiatry and Lacanian psychoanalysis. She has conducted research on a materialist feminist critique of the fundamental concepts of psychoanalysis. For ten years, she provided support and care for women and children through the Fédération Nationale Solidarité Femmes (FNSF) and the Maison des Femmes de Paris. Following the Covid pandemic, she has reduced her activity to private practice.

Nedjma Bouakra is a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and reporter for France Culture. She investigates individual and collective perceptions of our environment, racism, and the body. Her work focuses in particular on the political construction of exclusion and its "grey archives", combining the perspectives of those experiencing the social world with critical knowledge that challenges and renews these perceptions.