PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Henry Herrera
Phone: +1-301-801-0608
Email: info@menandboys.net
Men and Boys in France are Facing a Harsh Reality: Urgent Action Needed
March 28, 2025 – Men and boys in France are facing a growing crisis marked by disparities in education, health, violence, and homelessness. These urgent gender gaps demand action and reform.
Education:
In 2020, 39% of women aged 25 to 34 held a university degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD), compared to only 32.8% of men in the same age group. Additionally, 13% of young men had no diploma at all, compared to 10.9% of women. (1) By 2023, 47.8% of men and 55.8% of women in this age group had attained higher education, reflecting a growing trend and a persistent disparity in men’s academic achievement. (2)
Health:
In 2023, women had a life expectancy at birth of 85.7 years, while men‘s life expectancy was only 80 years, nearly six years less. (3) Additionally, the male mortality rate is significantly higher, with 93.6 deaths per 100,000 men compared to 46.1 for women. (4)
Homicide:
In 2023, France recorded a total of 887 homicides, with men being disproportionately affected: 626 victims were men, while 261 were women. (5)
Suicide:
In 2022, France recorded 9,237 suicides, with men being the vast majority of victims. A total of 6,956 men took their own lives, compared to 2,281 women. This resulted in a suicide rate of 21.03 per 100,000 men, significantly higher than the 6.48 per 100,000 women. (6)
Child Custody:
After parents’ separation, men face a challenging situation regarding custody and child support. In 75% of cases, custody was awarded exclusively to mothers, while only 7% were granted to fathers. (7)
Domestic Violence:
In France, approximately 23% of domestic violence victims are men, amounting to over 500,000 men affected each year. However, only 1% of domestic violence reports are filed by men, reflecting the lack of specific resources and the social stigma they face. Additionally, less than a third of male victims dare to approach authorities or seek help due to the fear of being ridiculed or not taken seriously. This situation highlights the lack of proper support for men compared to women, despite the high prevalence of male domestic violence victims, as reported by the French newspaper La Croix. (8)
Homelessness:
In 2023, at least 735 homeless individuals died in France, with men comprising 88% of these deaths. (9)
Workplace:
Workplace accidents impacted over 650,000 employees in France, with men representing 63% of the affected individuals. This significant gender disparity indicates that men are more likely to suffer from work-related accidents due to their higher representation in more physically demanding and hazardous industries, such as construction, manufacturing, and transport. (10)
Conclusion:
Prevention campaigns and measures primarily focus on women, perpetuate stereotypes that leave men exposed to domestic violence and institutional indifference. The lack of institutional support for men in France reflects gender discrimination that excludes this group from adequate protection, and it is crucial to recognize and address the needs of men as well as women. (11)
The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization that is working to celebrate the contributions of men to society and to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys around the world. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen will also benefit women. https://www.menandboys.net/
Links:
4.https://genderdata.worldbank.org/en/indicator/sp-dyn-amrt
5.https://datosmacro.expansion.com/demografia/homicidios/francia?utm_
6.https://countryeconomy.com/demography/mortality/causes-death/suicide/france?utm
7. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SzblvEiXrnQXC6mrYJi93jz7fXiqVtLI/view