Some 100 organisations have called on people across France to take to the streets on Sunday to defend women's rights, warning that the rise of the far right threatens hard-won freedoms.
People are urged to join marches in some 150 towns – including Paris, Bordeaux, Lille and Marseille as well as smaller places such as Saint-Malo – to mark International Women’s Day.
In Paris, the main procession will set off at 2pm from Stalingrad in the north-east of the city and head towards Place de la République via Gare du Nord.
"The far right means a rollback of rights for everyone – and particularly for women," said Anne Leclerc of the National Collective for Women's Rights (CNDF). "You only have to look at what is happening in the United States under Donald Trump – it's a laboratory."
Since returning to the White House last year, the US president has introduced measures restricting abortion rights and dismantled anti-discrimination policies.
"When conservatism rises, the first rights to come under attack are those of women and those linked to sexuality," said Sarah Durocher of the Mouvement français pour le planning familial (French family planning organisation).
"We're on alert" in France, she warned, with associations reporting growing difficulties in accessing abortion services due to a lack of funding and the closure of some local clinics.
“When conservatism rises, the first rights to come under attack are those of women and those linked to sexuality,” added Durocher.
“We’re on alert,” she said. “Associations are reporting growing difficulties in accessing abortion services because of a lack of funding and the closure of some local clinics.”
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Violence against women
Demonstrators will also protest against persistent sexual and sexist violence.
Recent official data found deadly violence by current or former partners increased in 2024, with more than three femicides or attempted femicides every day.
France has unveiled a framework bill with 53 measures aimed at curbing violence against women, but campaigners say stronger action is needed.
They are demanding an annual budget of 3 billion euros and a broader law covering prevention, education, support for victims and punishment for perpetrators.
“Our legislation is incomplete and lacks a coherent thread,” said Suzy Rojtman of the National Collective for Women’s Rights. “It is time to shift up a gear and finally show a genuine political will to tackle this violence.”
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Pay gap concerns
The marches will also highlight the gender pay gap as France prepares to transpose a European Union directive on pay transparency into national law.
The marches will also highlight the gender pay gap, with the deadline approaching for France to transpose into law the EU directive on pay transparency. According to France's national statistics institute INSEE, women in the private sector earned on average 21.8 percent less than men in 2024 – a gap largely attributed to part-time working patterns and lower-paid professions predominantly held by women.
The gap is largely linked to part-time work and lower-paid professions that are more often held by women.
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The Nemesis collective, a far-right women’s identitarian group, has said it will hold a separate rally in the west of Paris after some march organisers tried to have the group barred.
Organisers accused the group of “hijacking” feminism “for racist ends”.
Leclerc said Nemesis holding a separate rally was “a relief”.
“Our demonstrations promote values that they do not share,” she said.
Last year, organisers said 120,000 people took part in the Paris march and 250,000 across France. Police figures put the turnout in the capital at 47,000, nearly double the previous year’s count.
(with AFP)
