Thousands of people gathered across France on Saturday to protest the continuing rise in violence against women. They braved freezing temperatures to show their anger and call for stronger government efforts and more funding to fight the crisis.

In Paris, a massive crowd filled the streets. Organisers estimated 50,000 participants, while police put the number at 17,000. Demonstrators held signs, shouted slogans, danced, and sang as they marched. The rally was led by the Greve feministe (Feminist Strike), a collective of around 60 organisations.

One placard handed out by the feminist group NousToutes reminded people that “A man kills a woman every 2.5 days in France.” Another read, “Nine out of 10 victims know their rapist.”

Victims' Families Join the Movement

Many protesters carried deeply personal stories.
Sylvaine Grevin, president of the national femicide victims’ federation, spoke before the Paris march. Her sister was murdered in 2017. She asked, “It’s 2025, is it still normal to count our dead women?”

Protests Spread to Other Cities

Crowds also formed in several other French cities. Despite the cold weather, people gathered in large numbers, many wearing purple, the symbolic colour of feminism.

In Lille, 20-year-old student Juliette summed up the message of the day: “We have the right to be loved without being abused.”

Activists Demand Major Legal and Budgetary Changes

The organisations behind the marches want the government to adopt a wide-reaching framework law to fight gender-based violence. They are asking for a budget of three billion euros to enforce it. They also demand better education and more support for groups that help survivors.

Alarming Official Statistics Raise Urgency

New government data released by MIPROF on Thursday highlighted the growing crisis. Intimate partner femicides increased by 11 percent from 2023 to 2024. In total, 107 women were killed by a partner or former partner.

MIPROF also reported that every two minutes a woman is raped, faces attempted rape, or survives a sexual assault. Every 23 seconds, a woman faces sexual harassment, indecent exposure, or unwanted sexual content.

Funding Gap Remains Wide

The Women’s Foundation said the government needs to spend at least 2.6 billion euros every year to properly support victims of domestic, gender-based, and sexual violence. That amount equals just 0.5 percent of France’s national budget.