How often does the awareness of your own body cross your mind? This isn’t a lofty philosophical query, although it may sound like one. I came to realize several years ago that I am more cognizant of my physical existence when I am in France.
Growing up there, I didn’t immediately notice it. It took relocating to Britain and occasionally returning home to have this revelation about my corporeal state. I’m not attempting to make a profound metaphysical statement here. It’s just that in France, especially as a woman, some men enjoy reminding you of this fact.
It’s not always creepy or threatening, at least in my experience – perhaps I’ve been fortunate so far. Men whistle as you pass by, scan you from head to toe, and may even shout something inappropriate that they wouldn’t want their own mothers to hear. You continue walking, they continue walking, life moves on.
Still, it makes it incredibly challenging to exist in the world without constantly pondering your own legs, chest, hair, and whatever attire you happen to be wearing that day. It may not be threatening, but it is exhausting. You don’t always want the external world occupying your thoughts, repeatedly reminding you that you are a woman inhabiting a woman’s body.
This is especially true at the beach, where one should be able to frolic in the waves with pure joy, just like an ecstatic Labrador, without being conscious of the exposed skin on display.
Fortunately, Marseille is taking steps to address this issue. The city recently introduced an app called Safer Plage – a delightful blend of French and English – designed to assist women enjoying the beach. Once downloaded, the app allows users to report incidents in real-time, prompting a team of two individuals to locate and intervene in situations where the user is being threatened by someone or a group.
The app features three levels of reporting – “I’m uncomfortable,” “I’m being harassed,” and “I’m in danger” – and is currently operational in four areas of the region. Sadly, it’s a necessary initiative: according to a local politician, about 55% of women in Marseille no longer feel safe going to the beach alone.
It’s difficult to express just how infuriating this is. Swimming in the sea is an activity that anyone should be able to enjoy without a second thought. It’s the epitome of fun, even with only some clothing on.
Many of my fondest childhood memories were created on the beaches of the western coast, with the majority of them featuring female relatives sunbathing topless. The beach was a place where all bodies were equal, and none of them mattered. This is perhaps why I’m so comfortable in my own skin today.
It’s such a shame to realize that fewer and fewer women in France are embracing topless sunbathing. According to a 2019 study, only 25% of women aged 40 and above remove their bikini tops at the beach. The figure drops to 16% for those between 30 and 39, and further declines to 13% for women under 30. No specific reasons were provided or discovered for this shift, but it’s not difficult to speculate on what might have occurred.
Of course, it’s not their fault: if so many women feel unsafe at the beach in general, it comes as no surprise that very few would consider sunbathing topless. Even on the sand and in the sea, they can’t escape the reminder that they are women and that their bodies are open for observation. There’s simply no respite.
What can be done about this issue? Marseille’s app feels like a step in the right direction, and any effort to ensure women’s safety deserves recognition. However, it’s difficult to feel overly optimistic about it.
Some men in France seem unwilling to allow women to live their lives as individuals, without scrutiny or observation. Thus, the leering and comments will likely shift from the beach back to the streets. The culture needs to change, but will it? I’m not optimistic.
In the meantime, I suppose I’ll have to find solace in the relative aloofness and awkwardness of British people. While it may be isolating at times, when I’m here, I don’t constantly have to be conscious of my body. And that’s a positive thing.
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