Background

RATP, the operator of the Paris metro, as well as other public transport operators in the region have made the fight against sexual harassment in public transport a priority.

Measure

They have launched a publicity campaign to make users aware of the many ways in which they can alert the authorities and receive help in the event of an incident of harassment or sexual assault on public transport. In order to encourage reporting of all incidents, they have set up a number that victims can send by SMS (3117), an application and helplines in stations. RATP staff have also received training on how to deal with victims of sexual assault, and victims are encouraged to seek help from employees. Once an incident has been reported, RATP deploys more than 50,000 security cameras to ensure that incidents continue.

Outcome

Several major obstacles will have to be overcome if RATP's campaign is to be effective. The overload of public transport often makes it difficult to identify and report the perpetrators of harassment or sexual assault. In addition, the sheer prevalence of harassment on public transport represents a major obstacle, as the measures taken will have to be made possible by a more general change in social norms in the public space.