The Women's House
Mathilde, the founder of Smoon , wanted the brand to be committed from the start. She therefore chose to donate 1% of her turnover to the Maison des femmes. But what exactly is the Maison des femmes? Let's take stock of the actions of this unique place.
Violence against women: figures that send shivers down your spine
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In France, every 3 days, a woman dies under the blows of her spouse.
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Worldwide, 720 million young girls have been forced into early marriage.
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130 million women have undergone female circumcision.
In total, 1 in 3 women has been the victim of violence at least once in her life.
Other problems are still too often poorly taken care of by official structures or health professionals: demand for contraception by young girls, access to abortion, etc.
It was therefore necessary to create a place where women are listened to without judgment and feel confident enough to ask for help, whatever it may be.
What are the missions of the Women's House?
The Women's House is a house (yes yes, who would have thought?) in Saint-Denis which helps vulnerable women or victims of violence. Consultations concern care related to sexual mutilation, domestic and intra-family violence, rape and incest.
But the help given to women is not limited to gynecological consultations. The team is therefore made up of nurses and gynecologists, but also psychologists, jurists and lawyers, and family affairs advisers. There is now even a police station that allows women to file a complaint in this reassuring place on certain days of the week. A family planning unit is also present and takes care of all needs related to contraception, abortion and sexually transmitted infections.
At the women's home, support for women who are victims of violence goes even further. Support groups meet there and allow victims to discuss, support each other and break out of their isolation. Workshops on self-esteem, weekly theater or karate classes are also set up to promote the reappropriation of the body and listening to oneself.
The Maison des femmes also has an information mission. Volunteers regularly visit schools to lead discussions with students and raise awareness about the fight against violence against women.
Where to find a Women's House?
The women's house in Saint-Denis is currently unique in France. Structures acting for the protection of women victims of violence exist elsewhere of course, but not all of them have the same level of organization or the same means, and therefore cannot act with as much efficiency.
We can only hope that other Women's Houses will spring up everywhere like mushrooms. But the ideal would still be to be able to do without it! The greatest victory of the Maison des femmes would most certainly be to no longer have a raison d'être...
By Emily
