Avignon, France.

It’s impossible to comprehend the shame and inhumanity of what is going on in a French courtroom in Avignon, France. The mass rape trail, where the husband has admitted guilt. Gisele Pelicot is accusing these - so called men of raping her when she was drugged. The husband Dominic Pelicot, recruited his other accused via the internet and 50 misogynist male’s responded. This as all cases of this nature, cast a long shadow across the prevailing mores of its society. France is synonymous with a deeply misogynistic culture, that pervades every aspect of its society. Girls from a very young age are encouraged to place undue emphasis on their looks and dress sense. Haute couture, was invented in France and is one of its main exports internationally. When you think of France, you think - fashion. The two are intricately connected to each other. It’s impossible to underestimate the profound impact this case will have on the country. I’m a fan of the country, but this aspect of their society is obnoxious. When I worked in private practice as a psychoanalyst, I had a French patient who complained about the unnecessary pressure by her mother - always to look ‘presentable’.