The decision regarding the amendment was sadly expected.
However, it is important that I address any confusion following Minister Bérangère Couillard's address to the Senate.
An apparent confusion about the roles of services
The 3919 is an essential and life-saving service. However even with the recent improvements declared by Minister Couillard in her statement, languages other than French are only available on a limited and part-time basis. Women for Women France (WFWF) supports calls for additional public funding to be made available to the 3919 to rectify this and to ensure France respects Istanbul Conventional obligations concerning language accessibility.
Women for Women France’s “Portail de ressources multilingue” (PRM) or Multilingual Online Resource Centre, is complementary to the service offered by 3919. The PRM provides practical, detailed, and step-by-step information on how to assert a range of essential rights.
From finding housing, to reestablishing financial independence, applying for legal aid and protection orders, to navigating the complex family court system, how to regularise your administrative status. It also connects victims to relevant local services. The PRM provides exhaustive information for French people and non-French people alike through its 90 practical guides available for the moment in 15 languages.
An ecosystem: different services, working together
All services supporting victims in France form a nationwide ecosystem: every service is complementary and vital.
For example, depending on the victim's needs, the PRM will direct the user to the 3919 helpline. Likewise, counsellors at the 3919 will often signpost victims to the PRM. Through WFWF's partnership with the Ministry of the Interior, the PRM directly connects victims to the police and gendarmes, and police around the country orient victims to the PRM.
This inter-service coordination must continue, rather than confusing these services as being interchangeable or in competition with each other.
Every service, private and public, has a part to play to support victims.
The urgency of improving outcomes for non-French victims in France
WFWF's work with various ministries across the French government has been extremely productive and has drastically improved the accessibility of services to all victims in France.
We will continue to work closely with Minister Couillard and her cabinet to help them better understand the needs of foreign-born victims, how the national eco-system works together to do this, and help them ensure France respects its Istanbul Conventional obligations regarding migrant women and girls.
I have asked our CEO to reach out to the Minister’s cabinet to put a national plan in place to improve the situation of foreign nationals confronted with domestic abuse and gender-based violence in France.
Yasmine El Kotni
President, Women for Women France
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If you are writing about domestic abuse, please consider including resources for victims in your article:
- Emergency services (police, ambulance, fire): 112 (24/7)
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- Helpline for victims of domestic abuse and gender-based violence: 3919 (24/7)
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About WFWF
Women for Women France (WFWF) is the creator and manager of the national Online Multilingual Online Resource Centre for all people confronted with domestic abuse and gender-based violence in France. Our expertise is in domestic abuse, coercive control, and migrants’ rights.