The whistle for women, loud comments and search for a phone number will now be punished in France from 350 euros

Men in France could be punished with 350 euros if they follow women on the street, whistle for them, and loudly comment on their looks or look for their phone number, according to a draft proposal to combat "sexual contempt"

The new proposal will be presented to the French government in the coming days, local media reported.

The proposal came from a parliamentary working group of the French State Secretary for Equality, Marlene Schiappae.

Politicians behind the suggestion suggest that people who "violate women's freedom of movement in the public sphere" should face a minimum penalty of 90 euros if they pay on the spot.

If the penalty is postponed, it can rise to 350 euros, the report says. The document will be presented to Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet and Interior Minister Gerard Collomb.

Marlene Schiappa initially called for legislation in October 2017, saying that street harassment should be a punishable offense.

A 34-year-old feminist works closely with French President Emmanuel Macron, who once said that harassment could be compared to a "simpler verbalization process" so that "there is a possibility of immediate response" when it happens.

In a 25-page report, which has yet to be made public, it's unclear what its authors define as an example of "sexual contempt" against women.

The French-based Ouest-France newspaper that came into possession of the report says that if someone follows a woman, searches for her phone number and whistles for her, all of this can be punishable, as well as a loud remark on the female look.

"All this is happening before offenses and sexual abuse are already committed, which is already punishable by the Penal Code," says Erwan Balanant, one of the report's authors. Balanant explains that these measures are necessary because there is no policeman at every step that would stop anyone who is entering the women.

According to the High Council for the Equality of Women and Men, 100 percent of women claim that they were harassed in public transport at least once, and 82 percent of women were under the age of 17.

If approved, the law will be presented at parliamentary debates in the National Assembly and the Senate later this year. Prior to receiving the report, Schiappa indicated that it favored even stronger measures, saying for LCI news that 90 euros was "too small a penalty."

Critics of this measure also say that it will not go so far and that such a move can be purely symbolic. "Do not wait for police officers after harassing a woman," said Anais Bourdet, founder of the Facebook group Pay Ta Shnek, who alleges abuse of women.

However, the French media questioned how "sexual contempt" would be deterred from flirting.

Parliament spokeswoman Elise Fajgeles, the second author of the report, was accused of inconsolability and replied: "The confinement should be done in a relationship that is equal, not dominant."

Earlier in January, the government in Paris announced a new measure to combat harassment in public transport. Passengers on some bus lines now have the opportunity to jump into public transport at night, even when the vehicle is not in a certain position.

Although the campaign against sexual harassment continues to bring people around the world, many French celebrities have gathered against the #MeToo movement.

Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot and Laetitia Casta are among those who are not considered feminists, and say that flirting with a woman is not offensive.

• 29 Jan, 2018
• 1290 views