French Parliament Moves to Place Integral Gender‑Based Violence Law on Agenda

On 8 June, Assembly President Yaël Braun‑Pivet asked the French government to add a trans‑partisan “integral law” on gender‑based and sexual violence to the parliamentary calendar for the extraordinary session in July or September. The proposal, co‑authored by deputies Céline Thiébault‑Martinez and Karim Benbrahim, consolidates 140 measures drawn from a coalition of more than 100 lawmakers and eight parties, covering child protection, school, police, justice, labor and health. It aims to replace fragmented legislation with a comprehensive framework, including a leave‑of‑absence right for victims.

The French draft cites Spain’s model as a reference. Spain’s 2004 organic law on gender violence introduced specialized courts, dedicated prosecutors, the VioGen risk‑monitoring system and extensive data transparency, which supporters claim have improved victim protection. French legislators seek to adapt similar structural reforms to strengthen their own response to sexual and gender‑based violence.