Law No. 2018-703 of 2018 Strengthening the Fight against Sexual and Gender-based Violence

Brief Description

Law No. 2018-703 of 2018 strengthening the fight against sexual and gender-based violence strengthens civil and criminal protection, as well as support for female victims. It extends the definition of sexual harassment in the penal code by adding comments or behavior with a sexist connotation. The law thus creates an offense of sexist contempt, characterized by remarks or behavior with a sexual or sexist connotation that undermine dignity because of their degrading or humiliating nature or create an intimidating, hostile or offensive situation. As of June 12, 2019, in six months, 587 fines were issued in France for sexist insults, mainly in Paris and Lille, ranging from 90 to 750 euros. The fine can go up to 3,000 euros in the event of a repeat offence.