Gisèle Pelicot has graced the digital cover of Vogue Germany in a move that is being praised by users worldwide.
Pelicot, 72, gained international attention after being subjected to a decade of mass rape, organised by her husband Dominique Pelicot. He admitted in court to drugging his wife and inviting strangers to their house in the south of France, to rape her when she was unconscious.
She only learnt of her ordeal when police stumbled upon videos and pictures her husband recorded of the abuse that he is accused of orchestrating. Most of the 50 other men on trial have denied rape, with verdicts set to be delivered around 20 December.
On Monday (25 November), Vogue launched its latest edition with an illustration of Pelicot on the digital cover of the magazine. In the image, Pelicot is seen dressed in red, against a bright crimson background. The image comes with a capitalised caption reading: “NO MORE SHAME”.
The picture was created by Swedish illustrator Cecilia Lundgren. The announcement coincided with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
In an article alongside the image, Vogue writer Livia Sarai Lergenmüller wrote that “her appearance during the trial is so important for all women”.
She praised Pelicot for her decision to go public with the court case rather than remaining anonymous.
“She does not want to fight her battle in private, but rather makes it public, for spectators, for the press, for other women,” she wrote. “She makes the martyrdom she experienced a historic moment and dedicates her fight to “all women and men around the world who have been victims of sexual violence.”
Earlier this month, Pelicot blasted the “cowardice” of the dozens of men accused of abusing her during a decade of mass rape organised by her husband as she called for an end to a “macho, patriarchal society where rape is trivialised”.
She has become an icon for feminists and supporters of women’s rights everywhere, as the horror of her ordeal highlighted the urgency of dealing with issues of violence against women. News of her experience sparked an outcry on social media as users called for better policing, and encouraged one another to be tested for STDs.
“What an icon of strength and courage!” wrote one user on an Instagram post of the cover.
Others demanded a print version of the same as they commented, “A print cover too please!”
