French men face £4,500 fines for wolf-whistling at women
MEN in France could face on-the-spot fines for wolf-whistling at women.
A new law against “street harassment” would punish men displaying lecherous or aggressive behaviour.
This would include leering, repeatedly asking for a woman’s number or speaking too close to a woman’s face.
The legislation is being piloted by women’s minister Marlene Schiappa, 34, who wants to tackle sexist male attitudes in public spaces.
It comes as the escalating scandal over Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual assaults on a string of actresses has rekindled a wider debate on sexual harassment.
Ms Schiappa told French radio station RTL: “This action is completely necessary because at the moment street harassment is not defined in law.”
Asked about the difficulty of drawing a line between harassment and flirtation, Ms Schiappa said: “We know very well at what point we start feeling intimidated, unsafe or harassed in the street.
“Such as when a man invades a woman’s personal space, by talking to you ten or 20 centimetres from your face.
“Or if he follows a woman for several blocks or asks for your phone number 17 times.
“The level of the fine is also part of our discussions. We feel 5,000 euros (£4,500) would be an effective deterrent.”
Outrage
The hashtag MeToo encouraging women to share their experiences is among the top ten trends on French Twitter, along with #balancetonporc – Expose The Pig – to report workplace sexual harassment.
MPs are working with police and judges to come up with a definition of harassment that can be enforced by officers.
The legislation also includes toughening laws on sex with minors. Last month, there was outrage in France after a 28-year-old man who had sex with an 11-year-old girl was charged with sexual abuse of a minor, instead of rape, because she had followed him without being threatened.
Raphaelle Remy-Leleu of the feminist organisation Osez le Feminisme (Dare To Be Feminist) said: “I hope social tolerance will decrease after people become more aware of sexual harassment.”