GENDER&STATISTICS, our association, aims to work towards a less violent and more egalitarian society by addressing the root cause of delinquency and crime, which has been highlighted through our studies: masculinity. In France, men represent 96.3% of the prison population.
These antisocial behaviors represent a colossal financial and human cost for the state: 95 billion euros in France, or 3.3% of GDP in 2022. It is possible to end these enormous expenses and
ensure that insecurity is no longer a problem.
The solution exists and lies in the deconstruction of
these masculine patterns through an education that transmits more humanistic values.
Gender and Statistics produces a comprehensive set of data at the European level to help
public authorities and businesses implement policies that reduce violence and promote
women’s rights. Gender-segregated statistics provide an objective representation of
social realities and serve as a powerful tool to highlight the extent of violence and the
costs associated with it. They also enable the development of statistical tools to
measure the effectiveness of public policies aimed at combating delinquency.
Once the assessment is made, Gender and Statistics aims to offer recommen-
dations and technical support to the relevant stakeholders in operationalizing
these recommendations.
THE PLEA
TO END INSECURITY AND SAVE100 BILLION EUROS PER YEAR.
THE COST OF MASCULINITY IN FRANCE: A POWERFUL TOOL TO FIGHT VIOLENCE
The fight against violence is a key topic in government policies across Europe.
Ensuring that everyone can live in safety is, rightly, a priority.
However, the root cause of delinquency and crime is never addressed.
The statistics on this issue are clear but underutilized: the primary criterion that defines the profile of offenders is gender, and in the vast majority of cases, it is male. In all social environments, across all ages, education levels, or backgrounds,
it is almost always men who are responsible for insecurity.
In France, men represent 96.3% of the prison population, 83% of those charged by the judiciary, 90% of those convicted by the courts, 86% of those convicted for murder, 99% of those convicted for rape, 97% of those convicted for sexual assault, and 84% of those presumed responsible for fatal road accidents.
There is an URGENT NEED to address this problem at its roots because men's antisocial behaviors represent a colossal financial and human cost for states: 95 billion euros per year in France (3.3% of GDP in 2022),
98 billion euros per year in Italy (5.1% of GDP in 2022), and Rethinking Economics Geneva estimates
it at nearly 10 billion per year for Switzerland (1.3% of GDP in 2022).
It is possible to put an end to these staggering expenses and ensure that insecurity is no longer a problem.
THE SOLUTION EXISTS.
The origins of this overrepresentation of men in delinquency can and must be deconstructed by addressing their education, specifically the education around masculinity.
Indeed, the causes are clearly identified by science: they are not the result of an inherent "masculine nature" that drives men to behave violently, take risks, or disregard rules, but rather the consequence of educational patterns that encourage men to dominate through moral and physical force.
We must change the way we educate boys by transmitting more humanistic values through culture, parenting, schooling, etc. PUBLIC POLICIES MUST RESPOND TO THIS CHALLENGE to have a real impact on reducing violence
in our society and, consequently, on national wealth.
Lucile Peytavin
Co-founder of Gender and Statistics, historian, expert in violence prevention for the Psytel consultancy, and essayist.
Ginevra Bersani
Co-founder of Gender and Statistics, consultant at Bain & Co, and essayist.
Cécile Rossi
Advocacy Officer at the United Nations.
WITH EXPERTISE FRANCE
European Conference
June 7, 2023
We had the privilege of being invited by Expertise France to Athens to present our European project on the cost of virility. Our project is supported by our association, Gender and Statistics, aiming to shed light on the economic implications of Virility.
We had the honor of sharing our findings with European officials responsible for equality.
During our presentation, we discussed:
- Our innovative method for estimating the costs associated with virility
- Our estimation results for France, Italy, and Switzerland (thanks to the work of Rethinking Economics
- A set of actionable proposals for adapting public policies to address the issue of masculinity and reduce violence
- Our method for evaluating these public policies using a battery of indicators based on the costs of virility.
Recognizing that violence is not inevitable, our goal is to equip society with effective tools to tackle this
problem head-on.
We firmly believe that it is time to stop paying the price of virility and work towards a safer and more peaceful society.
Violence should never be the norm, and together, we can make a difference.