Sexism in France and the persecution of women in Myanmar

French High Council for Gender Equality reports high rates of sexual violence reported by female country residents. In its report, the government body describes French society as “very sexist in all spheres”. A survey of ⅓ of women found that partners urged them to perform sexual acts they did not want. Roughly one in seven female respondents was forced to have sex, and a similar number of women reported being beaten and pushed by their partner. At least 80% of French women believe they are treated worse than men because of their sex. Violence is used mainly by younger French men – among men aged 25 to 34, almost ¼ sometimes feel compelled to use force to gain respect.

According to Myanmar Witness, women who use social media to oppose military rule in Myanmar are being abused by government-supportive internet users. The most common are calls for their arrest and threats of violence, rape and death. The most common form of abuse on the Telegram platform is “doxing” – sharing people’s private details, such as a home address, contact details and personal photos, online without their consent. There are also online sexually denigrating campaigns against women. According to a Myanmar Witness study, social media platforms such as Telegram and Facebook are not doing enough to combat online abuse.