At the hospital too, we want the fight against sexist and sexual violence to progress. Medical students, feminist organizations and health professionals are calling to demonstrate on Wednesday in front of the Ministry of Health in Paris to demand “concrete and immediate measures” against this violence in the health sector.
A rally is planned for 6 p.m. in front of the ministry where the demonstrators ask to be received by the ministers Catherine Vautrin and Frédéric Valletoux, we can read in the appeal published Monday among others by the associations Dare feminism! and the National Collective for Women’s Rights (CNDF).
“An emergency plan” requested
“The world of health, far from being spared from sexist and sexual violence, is on the contrary a particularly fertile breeding ground for it,” writes in this appeal the Emma Auclert collective, which brings together medical students, at the origin of the initiative. “Rape culture and secrecy are fueled by strong professional hierarchies, pathogenic management, esprit de corps and “gun culture”.”
Other signatory organizations include Nous Tous, the Solidaires Trade Union, Student Union, Stop Obstetrical and Gynecological Violence and the Observatory of Sexist and Sexual Violence in Higher Education.
All are calling for the “urgent” implementation of an “ambitious” plan for prevention and awareness of gender-based and sexual violence in universities and public and private health establishments, including compulsory training.
They also demand the effective removal of “all pornographic frescoes still present in certain hospitals despite their ban” and the creation of an anonymous reporting platform for patients, or even “effective protection” for all students and professionals reporting gender-based and sexual violence.
Karine Lacombe’s accusations launched the movement
This call to rally comes a month after the publication of a survey of Paris Match in which Karine Lacombe, head of the infectious diseases hospital department in Paris, accused emergency media specialist Patrick Pelloux of “sexual and moral harassment”. These accusations triggered a wave of testimonies on social networks, particularly under the hashtag #Metoohospital.
Questioned on April 24 on this subject, the Minister Delegate in charge of Health Frédéric Valletoux promised “concrete proposals within a few weeks to turn the page on this sad period”, not only at the hospital but throughout the health sector.
The idea is that “everyone can put an end to this atmosphere, this culture, this behavior, this sexist and sexual violence,” he said on France Inter.