“if I could change one thing in my society to advance women’s rights, it would be abolishing rape culture. I would want no woman, or female-aligned individual, to fear for their safety by simply being in the presence of men; I would want better healthcare surrounding victims of sexual assault, and for law enforcement to do more in response to reports of rape and sexual assault. I would want victim-blaming to end, and for every person who comes forward and speaks about their experience to be heard, accepted, and believed."
- Lauren, Minneapolis, USA
- Lucile, France
“If I could change one thing to advance women's rights in France, it would be street harassment. I have lived in four different countries and can certainly say street harassment is far worse in Paris. I don't know one girl friend who doesn't deal with verbal harassment on a daily basis, let alone other forms of harassment, such as ass or arm grabbing. I can also say that most of my friends were followed home at least once.
Harassment starts at a very early age, but sadly, most of us accept it. We are so accustomed to it that we don't realize it anymore. Mostly, when it happens, we are just ashamed of it, we feel responsible. As a consequence, we tend to adopt a 'low profile' in the streets"
If I could change one thing, I would encourage French women to speak up as often as possible about harassment. As long as we think it is normal, things won't change.