Cross-sectoral training to reduce violence against women: A new feminist opportunity?

Abstract

Since the 2000s, the French State, following the lead of violence against women (VAW) at the international level, has promoted a cross-sectoral approach to VAW policy, which consists of including not only feminist organizations, but also other actors (police, justice, health sector, etc.). In this context, in-service training programs, which aim to spread knowledge about VAW and create a “common culture” between the numerous new actors, have become a central tool of this policy. The comparison between two regions—Ile-de-France and Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur—shows that even though feminist organizations remain the main actors in charge of the implementation of the training strategy, some discrete evolutions in the framing of VAW are nonetheless taking place; although training sessions are not gender neutral and use feminist knowledge, their primary aim is to change professional habits without tackling gender inequalities.