Monday, March 30, Gare du Nord, Paris. In this vast hall where everyone passes each other without seeing one another, Philippe Tabarot (Minister of Transport) and Aurore Bergé (Minister for Gender Equality) brought together local authorities, transport operators, and associations to sign a joint charter against sexist and sexual violence on public transport. The idea is simple on paper: to put an end to disparate initiatives, to get everyone on the same page, and to present a shared approach.
At the heart of the text, the government emphasizes an approach focused on prevention, detecting at-risk situations, and providing more effective support for victims. The stated ambition is a more consistent response across all public transport networks, from the metro and trams to trains and intercity buses. The Ministry of Transport also wants to better understand the phenomenon, better classify incidents, and, above all, better count them—a crucial detail when it comes to public safety.
Because the figures speak for themselves. In 2024, 3.374 victims of sexual violence on public transport were recorded in France, 6% more than in 2023 and 86% more than in 2016, according to a study published in March by the Observatory of the Interministerial Mission for the Protection of Women, based on police and gendarmerie data. Women represent 91% of the victims, according to the Ministry of the Interior's statistical service. In crowded trains and poorly lit stops alike, the risk is anything but abstract.
From the metro to buses, the promise of a "concrete" response
From the metro to buses, the promise of a "concrete" response. The charter plans to strengthen reporting tools, including the 3117 hotline for assaults and harassment on the Île-de-France network, and to reiterate existing services already familiar to users, such as requesting a stop on the bus. It also focuses on deploying mediation and security teams, training staff, and regularly raising public awareness through informational messages. The emphasized objective: that every report receives "a concrete response," not just a ticked box.
Another, more field-based approach involves identifying areas of insecurity. The document cites the "exploratory walks" conducted locally, a way of highlighting blind spots, isolated platforms, and anxiety-inducing transfers—all things that official plans sometimes overlook. Here, the reader quickly grasps the stakes: a transport security policy depends as much on human presence as on infrastructure, lighting, and the ability to act quickly.
In terms of signatures, the government wants a broad coalition: the French Transport Organizing Authorities Association, Regions of France, Île-de-France Mobilités (the regional transport authority), the French Union of Public and Rail Transport, the National Federation of Passenger Transport, the Organization of European Road Hauliers, along with associations committed to combating violence against women. The daily challenge remains: the crowded platforms during rush hour and late-night journeys, when the charter will have to translate into practical actions, staffing levels, and tangible responses, not just fine words displayed above seats.
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