THOUSANDS of women have marched through Paris to demand action on one of the most alarming trends in French society: femicide. This year, at least 131 women have been murdered by their current or former partners, against 121 last year.

Organizers, the feminist collective #NousToutes (“All of Us”), said that as many as 100,000 women marched in Paris and 150,000 across France, making it “the biggest march against gender-based violence in French history.”

Activists marched in rainy conditions in the French capital, holding signs condemning violence along with those bearing the names of victims. “We can’t be silent any longer,” said one protester.

Recent data shows more women have been killed in France by current or former partners than in almost every other European nation; it is second only to Germany. The killings in France are part of a global scourge that shows no signs of abating. For example, 87,000 women and girls were killed in 2017, and over half of them were killed either by their spouse, partner or own family, according to the U.N.

Critics have long blamed this on a society they say is deeply misogynistic.

Much of the blame has also been leveled at the police, who have been accused of turning a blind eye to women in danger. A recent report commissioned by the justice minister further highlighted this concern. Of the 88 cases reviewed, the findings revealed that 41 percent of the women murdered in France by their current or former partner had gone to police fearing for their lives, but little or no action was taken.(SD-Agencies)