France may ban wolf whistling as part of measures to tackle sexual harassment
'It is a cultural struggle to bring down the tacit consensus of acceptance of violence'
French politicians are considering banning wolf whistling in public, as part of a raft of proposed anti-sexual harassment measures, according to reports.
The laws would also stop men following women in public and repeatedly asking for their numbers.
The punishment could be a fine, but lawyers fear the offences could be difficult to prove legally.
A working party of five MPs is working on the legislation, which is designed to reduce abusive behaviour encountered by women on the streets.
The group was set up by Marlène Schiappa, Secretary of State in charge of Equality between Women and Men.
“The idea is to characterise street harassment so that the police can impose fines on men who follow women on the streets, intimidate them and harass them in public space,” she said to local newspapers.
She added: "It is a cultural struggle to bring down the tacit consensus of acceptance of violence."
Ms Schiappa, who became prominent through running a blog for working mothers, has previously advocated for large fines to be handed to men who harass women in public.
“Twenty euros would be a bit humiliating, €5,000 would be more of a deterrent,” she told the The Guardian in June.
But she maintained in the parliamentary group that consensual flirting between men and women would not become illegal.
“Talking to someone and asking for [a number] will not be considered harassment,” she said.
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The proposals have not been without opposition. Lawyers said it is also unclear how the offences could be reported and punished.
Others believe the proposals are too far-reaching.
The Times reported that lawyer Gilles-William Goldnadel said Ms Schiappa sought to make “heavy Latin chat-up lines” illegal and the move would saturate the courts and encourage “feminist lawyers”.
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