On 21 September, the citizen mobilisation platform Make.org launched a major campaign entitled «How can we protect children from all forms of violence?». Together with around sixty associations and companies, it is now calling on civil society as a whole to put an end to this scourge.
One every four days. In France, one child is killed every four days within the family. Every year, tens of thousands of children are harassed, raped or victims of social exclusion. How can we tolerate these unspeakable figures? How can we resist the temptation to deny them? Let us be courageous and face the facts, so that we can mobilise and take action.
To fight this scourge together, Make.org launched a campaign on 21 September 2020, with the support of Adrien Taquet, Secretary of State for Children and Families., The Great Cause: «How can we protect children from all forms of violence?», whose patron is actress and director Andréa Bescond. In 2018, her film, Tickles, caused a stir. It tells the story of Odette, who was raped at the age of 8 by her parents' best friend. The synopsis is chilling. Even more so when you realise that the director drew inspiration from her own story to break the taboo surrounding child sexual abuse (1). These images attempt to open our eyes to what we do not see, or sometimes do not want to see. To the abuse that exists around us and that we find so difficult to confront.
national scourge
Unfortunately, Andréa Bescond's story is not an isolated case of child abuse. So many children are victims of unspeakable forms of violence. In France, 130,000 girls and 35,000 boys are raped or subjected to attempted rape every year, with children with disabilities three times more likely to be at risk (six times more for girls). An estimated 4 million people have been victims of incest, most often during childhood or adolescence. 700,000 pupils endure bullying at school. And according to UNICEF, nearly 3 million children live below the poverty line in France. In Paris alone, 700 minors sleep on the streets or in precarious housing.
Faced with these tragedies, the French themselves are calling for action. 93% of them consider the fight against child abuse to be a priority cause. Caring for children and their parents, making them our top priority, means preserving human rights, which is essential for ensuring a just society.
It is no longer time to be indignant. It is no longer time to wait. A helpline number, 119 Allô Enfance en danger (Hello, Children in Danger), confidential and free of charge, is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The government has also launched a three-year plan to combat violence against children. It is also time for civil society as a whole to join forces and take collective action with child protection organisations working in the field to put an end to this national scourge. Let us enable everyone – volunteers, working people, young people, parents and retired people – to take ownership of this important issue and defend the foundations of our society. Let us commit ourselves to protecting what we hold most dear: our children and our future.
More than 34,000 citizens have already taken part in the citizen consultation «How can we protect children from all forms of violence?», initiated by Make.org. To date, they have submitted nearly 3,500 proposals and cast 200,000 votes. You too can make your voice heard until 9 November 2020 at protectchildren.make.org.
The signatories, members of the Great Cause #ProtectChildren:
Axel Dauchez, president of Make.org; Andréa Bescond, author, actress, director; Éric Métayer, author, actor, director; Violaine Blain, Managing Director of GIP Enfance en Danger (Children in Danger) on behalf of Snated-119; Martine Brousse, President of La Voix de l'Enfant (The Voice of the Child); Isabelle Debré, President of the association L'Enfant Bleu – Enfance Maltraitée (The Blue Child – Child Abuse); Laura Morin, National Director of the association L’Enfant Bleu – Enfance Maltraitée; Josiane Bigot, President of CNAPE – Convention Nationale des Associations de Protection de l’Enfant; Rémy Rego, Communications Manager at Fondation Le Refuge; Olivier Duval, President of BICE – Bureau international Catholique de l’Enfance; ; Justine Atlan, Chief Executive Officer of the e-Enfance association ; Vincent Séguéla, Secretary General of the Léo Lagrange Federation; Flavie Mekharchi, member of the Youth Board of GROUPE SOS; Thierry Rombout, Managing Director of Union pour l'Enfance (UFSE); Florent Gueguen, Managing Director of the Fédération des Acteurs de la Solidarité; Céline Quelen, President of StopVEO, Enfance sans violences; Homayra Sellier, President of Innocence en Danger; Nora Fraisse, General Delegate and Founder of the Marion la main tendue association; Laurent Boyet, President and Founder of the Les Papillons association; Louise Florand, Lawyer at Point de Contact; Patricia Chalon, President of Enfance Majuscule; Nathalie Casso-Vicarini, founder and general delegate of the association Ensemble pour l'Éducation de la Petite Enfance; Francis Canterini, president of France Parrainages; Sonia Graça, vice-president of ACRIDES Paris; Marie Mayoud, co-founder and president of the Digital Parenting Foundation; Olivia Sarton, scientific director of Juristes pour l'enfance; Jérôme Bertin, Chief Executive of France Victimes; Léa Thuillier, Head of Institutional Relations at En avant toute(s); Marie-Andrée Blanc, President of Unaf; Sébastien Boueilh, founder of the association Colosse aux pieds d'argile; Olivier Mathieu, Chief Executive of Scouts et Guides de France; Romain Le Chéquer, Director of the Pierre Bellon Foundation; Arnaud Gallais, Director General of the Enfant Présent association; Djamila Allaf, Director of L'Enfance au cœur; Mié Kohiyama, President of MoiAussiAmnesie; Isabelle Aubry, President of the International Association of Incest Victims (AIVI); Sandrine Weltman, Director of Enfance et Partage; Armelle Le Bigot Macaux, President of COFRADE; Alexandra Christides, General Delegate of the Fédération nationale des Écoles des parents et éducateurs (Fnepe); Jean-Étienne Liotard, Director General of the Olga Spitzer Association; Eugénie Izard, President of REPPEA – Réseau de Professionnels pour la Protection de l’Enfance et de l’Adolescence; Vincent Dennery, Director of the Fondation pour l'Enfance; Isabelle Lelouch, President of the Enfance Intégrité association; Monique Pozzi, President of the ADAFMI and Aide Coopération Solidarité Plus – ACS + associations; Csilla Nicot, President of the Festival des Enfants association; Valia Cuadrado, President of Bébé en conscience; Ariane Poniatowski, Co-President of the Paris Tout P’tits Association; Anne Lucie Viscardi, Founder of La Génération qui parle; Daniel Jasmin, Co-Founder of Centres Relier; Sabine Parnigi-Delefosse, Co-Founder of Centres Relier; Raphaële Voss, President of the Rejoué Association; Marie-Pierre Lescure, founder of the Educ’AT association; Chantal Mainguene, founder-president of the Môm’artre network; Muriel Salmona, president of the Mémoire traumatique et victimologie association; Claude Néris, president of SOS Exclusion Parentale; Marie Rabatel, president of AFFA – Association Francophone de Femmes Autistes; Isabelle Gillette-Faye, managing director of Fédération GAMS; Carmen Kervella, founder of Popmoms; Emilie Pauchet, communications manager, partners and youth coordinator at wweeddoo; Philippe Steck, president of CFADS; Matthieu Tillet, President of Uman Arts Company; Jacques Switalski, President of La Chance aux enfants; Grégory Véret, Founder of Xooloo; Malika ZAIRI, President of the International Children Care Film Festival – ICCFF; Ludovic Broyer, Founder of iProtego.
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(1) Andréa Bescond has just published, with Mathieu Tucker, “Et si on se parlait ?” (What if we talked?), three books aimed at children aged 3 and up, to “help them talk about everything, without taboos” (HarperCollins, September 2020).
