Charter for the prevention of sexual harassment and violence

With this Charter, Unifrance pledges to combat sexual and gender-based violence.

Aware of the importance of fighting against sexist and sexual violence, the members and teams of Unifrance – managers, employees and their representatives – have decided to provide the organization with a Charter expressing the organization's commitment to favorizing information, prevention, and the implementation of protocols for listening to and dealing with the situations of victims who are employees, members, and third parties present at events organized by Unifrance.

This Charter is in addition to existing legal provisions.

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It is our social and legal responsibility to guarantee and maintain working conditions that respect people's dignity.

We must be fully aware of the need to intervene when we witness acts covered by the law that could have the purpose or effect of sexual or gender-based violence.

In the event of such acts being reported to us, we must respect the presumption of innocence and, in agreement with the person in difficulty, it is our duty to assist him or her, in particular by supporting and facilitating the reporting of the facts.

DEFINITIONS

Sexist or sexual violence (sexual harassment, assault, rape...) covers situations in which a person imposes on another person behavior(s) or comments (oral or written) with sexist or sexual connotations.

While both men and women can be victims of sexist and sexual violence, statistics show that women are three times more likely than men to be victims of violence.

These forms of behavior, which are punishable by law, vary in form but all share certain common characteristics: they are non-consensual, and their purpose or effect is to create humiliation, hostility, intimidation, or threats, or to degrade the working environment.

It therefore seems useful to return here to the notion of consent:

- Consent must be free, informed, and given personally

- Silence does not constitute consent

- Consent may be withdrawn at any time

There is hence no consent if:

- It is given by a third party

- The person does not have the capacity to consent (for example, the person is unconscious due to alcohol, drugs, medication, etc.)

- The person is subjected to a sexual act using violence, threats, coercion, or surprise

The behaviors listed above may include, but are not limited to:

· Sexual or sexist jokes, remarks, or incivilities

· Sexual or sexist insinuations and remarks

· Suggestive gestures

· Unwanted physical contact

· Falsely casual physical contact

· Requests for attention with sexual connotations

· Remarks about the body, manners, or sexual activities

· Sending, viewing, or broadcasting sexual or sexist images or films

· Sexual blackmail

· Retaliation for the rejection of a sexual advance or proposal

· Pressure such as the use of physical force, or the threat of physical force to compel a sexual relationship

· Insistence on taking a person to inappropriate places, such as a hotel room

COMMITMENTS

Through this Charter, Unifrance commits to:

1. Ensure that its events comply with the law.

2. Protect employees, members, and third parties present at events organized by Unifrance against sexual and sexist violence by implementing a protocol dedicated to the safety and care of victims.

3. Oppose all forms of violence, by guaranteeing that any threatening and aggressive behavior, intimidation, blackmail, harassment, or sexual assault, will result in action, up to and including, after investigation by management, and upon decision of the Executive Committee:

- Temporary exclusion of the respondent in the case of an act committed in France or abroad;

- Exclusion of the accused third party, whether an individual or a legal entity, from events organized by Unifrance;

- The expulsion of a member of the organization, whether an individual or a legal entity, in application of Article 7 of the Unifrance statutes.

4. Within its structure, develop communication about and prevention of sexual violence and sexist behaviour.

5. Train all its employees so that they can play an active role in this prevention.

6. Communicate the present Charter to all participants in the organization's operations, and more generally to all its members.

01/29/2025

President of Unifrance,

Gilles PÉLISSON

To view the full Charter and appendices, please click here.