Modeled after the United Kingdom, this device, which is posted in the form of a coded message, allows victims of street harassment to find shelter and be looked after by businesses.
Now we see them plastered on shop windows in Bordeaux, Lyon and Rouen. “Ask for Angela” sticker on a British model (Here, ask Angela, French, Editor’s Note) thus appeared in several French cities and intends to fight against street harassment. The first name Angela is rooted in the word “angel”, which is a symbol of protection.
In the video: a campaign against street harassment
This new solidarity system, promoted by the government, aims to create a network of safe places for victims who do not feel safe on the streets. So anyone in trouble can now go to a business displaying this logo and ask “Where’s Angela?” To this question, which started like a coded message, the leaders of these institutions know that they must immediately move the victim to a safe area and take care of him. As such, the government is urging traders to fill out a form to join the network and is offering staff training on how to respond to victims.
This initiative is a continuation of the “Angela” project, which was presented by the former Secretary of State for Equality between Women and Men, Marlene Schiappa, in May 2020. So, at the heart of the health crisis and detention, the latter said he was concerned. By providing a safe place for women at risk on the street, “in cases where there are no police officers to verbalize egregious crime.” But while the initiative was limited to bars and nightclubs, it now extends to local shops, hotels and restaurants and at all hours of the day.
In the video, a man finds street harassment on a woman’s skin
8 out of 10 women
According to a YouGov survey conducted in March of last year, about 8 out of 10 young women (18 to 24 years old) in France would not feel safe on the street. most of them have already been tracked. and harassed. Figures confirmed by the Home Office’s ‘Street Harassment Barometer 2022’, which list around 91% of victims of ‘sexist abuse’ in 2019 and 2020 were women.
Source: Le Figaro
