The government's measures – announced to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women – include expanding the system for filing complaints in hospitals and awareness-raising campaigns on "chemical submission" in the wake of the Mazan mass rape trial.
Despite making combatting violence against women a national cause, sexual violence appears to be on the increase in France.
In the latest VRS survey, published in November, 484,000 women said they had been victims of violence by a partner or former partner in 2023.
Some 123,000 reported sexual violence (rape, attempted rape and sexual assault), 109,000 physical violence, and 339,000 non-physical violence (sexual harassment and indecent exposure).
Official figures show 93 women were killed at the hands of their partner or former partner in 2023, while feminist collective #Noustoutes (All of us Women) has reported 122 such femicides since the beginning of the year.
Mass rape trial sparks demonstrations across France
On Saturday thousands of women in France took to the streets to denounce the government's insufficient action.
Speaking on Franceinfo public radio on Monday, Equality Minister Salima Saa said the government was "fully mobilised" on the issue.
She announced the expansion of a system allowing victims of sexual violence to file complaints in hospitals, not just police stations.
The system, currently in operation in 236 hospitals, will be extended to 377 structures by the end of 2025, Saa said.
The government is hoping it will encourage more victims to press charges.
While the MeToo movement has made it easier for victims of violence to come forward and the police have registered double the number of victims since 2016, only 14 percent of victims pressed charges in 2022, the VRS survey found.
'Before and after' Mazan
The government also recently announced an information campaign to help potential victims of chemical submission, which Saa described as "a new scourge".
The issue has been brought into focus since the mass rape trial in which Frenchman Dominique Pélicot drugged his wife Gisèle before inciting dozens of men to rape her at the couple's family home in Mazan.
Mass rape trial sparks demonstrations across France
The campaign, backed by the M'endors pas association co-founded by Gisèle Pélicot's daughter, includes a helpline offering advice on where you can go for tests on hair, blood, urine, Saa explained.
Prime Minister Michel Barnier has announced the trial-run of reimbursing self-detection kits for people who believe they may have been victims of chemical submission.
There would be "a before and after Mazan", Barnier said on a visit to a women's shelter on Monday.
Increased budget
The government promised to boost emergency aid to support victims of domestic abuse once they leave home.
Saa said 33,000 people had benefited from the fund since it was launched at the end of 2023.
Beneficiaries receive between €240 to €1,130; the average sum is €800.
Next year, the allocated budget would increase from €13 million to €20 million.
Victims of domestic abuse in France to receive emergency aid
At a time when the government is seeking to save €60 billion to mop up France's growing debt burden, Saa said they had "succeeded" in obtaining a 10 percent increase in the budget for gender equality – up to 85.1 million euros.
However, women's rights groups are calling for a total budget of €2.6 billion a year and an “integral framework law” to replace current legislation they deem "fragmented and incomplete".
