Women for Women France is delighted to announce that the national support line for domestic abuse and sexual violence victims is now available in 185 languages, thanks to simultaneous interpretation.
This major step forward brings France one step closer to complying with its Istanbul Conventional obligations regarding victim support service language accessibility.
Sarah McGrath, CEO of Women for Women France, said:
“This is wonderful news for victims who do not speak French. This is also important for victims who can speak French but who are suffering from too much shock and trauma to be able to speak anything other than their maternal language.
“I would like to thank the French government for taking our concerns regarding the language accessibility of this service seriously, all our partners who helped advocate for this crucial improvement, and of course: the hardworking Women for Women France team who have spent the past three years advocating for this change to the 3919 helpline.”
“The needs of foreign-born victims of domestic abuse are highly complex and specialised. While the 3919 is an essential and life-saving service, it remains very limited.
“Women for Women France will continue to work with the government to put a national plan in place to address the needs of foreign-born victims. France must urgently comply with all of their Istanbul Convention obligations regarding migrant women and girls.”
Media
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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)
- Multilingual Online Resource Centre for victims of domestic abuse and gender-based violence: www.womenforwomenfrance.org (24/7)
- 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.
WFWF has a team of multi-disciplinary experts in France who monitor current events and laws and provide research-based insights and recommendations.