In 2026, the phrase “comprehensive law” has taken hold in French public debate on sexist and sexual violence. Behind the term lies a simple idea: stop treating prevention, protection, justice, health and education separately, and build a coordinated response instead.
Why is it called a “comprehensive law”?
The point is not simply to create a new offence. The comprehensive approach starts from the observation that sexual violence does not play out solely at the moment a complaint is filed or a trial takes place. It also involves prevention, early identification, protecting victims, supporting them, training professionals and education.
On 10 June 2026, a petition titled “For a comprehensive law against sexual violence towards women and children” was filed on the Assemblée nationale platform. It highlights persistent shortcomings in the prevention, identification, protection and judicial handling of sexual violence.
The subject then reached a further institutional stage: referred by the President of the Assemblée nationale, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) adopted an opinion on 16 July 2026 on the bill aimed at comprehensively combating sexist and sexual violence against women and children.
A response designed to act before, during and after the violence
The value of a broad approach is that it looks at the whole path. Before violence occurs, that means strengthening information, education about consent, prevention and training. When a situation is reported, what matters is identification, listening, putting people out of harm’s way and directing them to help. After the events, the questions extend to access to care, support, and how the justice system works.
This logic points to something essential: the fight against violence cannot rest on a single institution. Schools, healthcare, the courts, police services, employers, local authorities, associations and the people around a victim each have a part to play.
Why prevention remains central
Legal reform can set obligations, improve procedures and strengthen support systems. But it does not replace everyday prevention work.
Being able to recognise a situation that is not normal, understanding what consent means, knowing how to react as a bystander, and knowing what resources exist are all protective levers too. Prevention should not teach potential victims to “avoid” violence; it should give society as a whole the means to recognise it, stop it and respond better.
What My Self Key takes from this
For My Self Key, this confirms how much accessible, concrete prevention matters. Talking about safety is not about instilling fear: it is about giving people information, reflexes and choices.
Above all, the debate around the comprehensive law is a reminder that no single response is enough. Protection comes at once from public policy, education, holding perpetrators to account, supporting victims, and our collective capacity to act.
