Major protests have taken place across France, including Paris, as demonstrators rallied in support of Gisèle Pélicot, whose husband, Dominique Pélicot, is on trial for the alleged rape of his wife. He is also accused of inviting other men to assault her.
In court, Dominique made a shocking admission, declaring, “I am a rapist just like all the others in this room.” His case has ignited outrage, drawing attention to the legal and societal challenges women face in seeking justice for sexual violence.
At the same time, protests have been ongoing in India, spurred by the tragic death of a 31-year-old medical trainee, who was raped and later died in a hospital. The victim’s name has not been released, but her case adds to the growing crisis, with a woman being raped every 16 minutes in India, according to national statistics. The protests in India highlight the country’s ongoing struggle with gender-based violence, which persists despite recent legal reforms.
These protests, occurring in two vastly different cultures, illustrate the enduring global difficulties in prosecuting sexual violence even years after the rise of the #MeToo movement, which began as a global reckoning against sexual harassment and assault.
The #MeToo movement, initially coined by activist Tarana Burke in 2006, gained international attention in 2017 when American actress Alyssa Milano encouraged women to share their stories of sexual harassment and violence on social media, following allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The movement spread worldwide, impacting countries like South Korea, Argentina, and Iran, as powerful men were accused of sexual misconduct.
In France, the movement took root with journalist Sandra Muller’s #balancetonporc, which encouraged French women to share their experiences of harassment. However, France’s reception to #MeToo has been mixed. In 2018, French actress Catherine Deneuve and 100 other women penned a controversial letter to *Le Monde* criticizing the movement, arguing that it conflated harassment with flirtation. The letter warned that the movement risked being used by “religious extremists” to restrict women’s freedoms. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has praised actor Gérard Depardieu, who faced accusations of sexual harassment, further showing the complicated reception of the movement in France.
Adding to the complexity, French law does not include the concept of “consent” in the definition of rape, relying instead on coercion-based laws. It was only in 2021 that France criminalized sexual acts against minors under 15, marking a significant but delayed shift in its legal framework.
In India, #MeToo gained momentum in 2018 when actress Tanushree Dutta accused actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment. Since then, the movement has spread to various industries, including the Malayalam film industry, where several directors and actors have been accused of misconduct. Despite the allegations, progress in holding perpetrators accountable has been slow. Indian cinema, with its portrayal of women in “item songs,” often reinforces misogynistic views, presenting women as objects and glorifying male dominance.
Cultural attitudes in India further complicate the situation. Many Indian men continue to blame women’s attire for inviting harassment, while movies often emphasize male “saviors” instead of addressing the root causes of gender violence. A Pew Research Center survey found that only 51% of Indian men believe that teaching boys to respect women is essential for improving women’s safety.
While India introduced stricter punishments for sexual crimes in 2023, it still does not recognize marital rape as a crime, maintaining that “sexual intercourse by a man with his wife” is legal if she is over 18.
Despite the differences between France and India in terms of culture and legal protections, the ongoing protests in both nations are a stark reminder of the global prevalence of sexual violence and the impunity many perpetrators still enjoy. These protests continue to call for justice for victims and greater accountability for those committing these heinous acts.