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Country

France

Scores
73.7/100
Overall
55.9/100
Governance and accountability
63.3/100
Prevention
80.0/100
Healing
82.2/100
Justice

Europe & Central Asia

3rd

Overall

6th

Governance and accountability

3rd

Prevention

3rd

Healing

2nd

Justice

Shared rank — one or more countries have the same score.

Pathfinding Global Alliance

1st

Overall

6th

Governance and accountability

4th

Prevention

4th

Healing

1st

Justice

Shared rank — one or more countries have the same score.

Ending Violence Against Children pledging process

2nd

Overall

8th

Governance and accountability

6th

Prevention

3rd

Healing

2nd

Justice

Shared rank — one or more countries have the same score.

G20

4th

Overall

8th

Governance and accountability

7th

Prevention

6th

Healing

3rd

Justice

Shared rank — one or more countries have the same score.

G7

3rd

Overall

5th

Governance and accountability

4th

Prevention

3rd

Healing

2nd

Justice

Background indicators
GDP per capita
46150.49
Level of poverty
15.6
Gini coefficient
31.2
Rule of Law Index
0.72
Gender Inequality Index (GII)
0.03
Women in parliament
36.2
Gender gap in educational attainment
1.0
LGBTQ Equality Index
74.0
Birth registration
100.0
Internet penetration rate
88.65
Online child sexual abuse
19.9
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Globally, France ranks 4th out of 60 countries with a score of 74 out of 100

3rd
within Europe & Central Asia
out of 12 countries
4th
in its high income classification
out of 14 countries
13.6
million children in France
represents 10.4% of the region's total population under 18

France has made important progress and is well-placed to continue to strengthen its response. 

With sustained investment and action, it can continue to be a global leader in protecting children and adolescents from sexual violence.

 

France demonstrates global and regional leadership across the Index, particularly in the areas of prevention and justice, though important gaps remain.

Progress through data, policy, and investment

France’s VIRAGE study in 2016 found that 13% of girls and 6% of boys experience sexual violence in childhood. Since then, France has made notable progress in commiting to prevent and respond to sexual violence against children. For example, to date France has ratified seven of eight key international child protection treaties. 

In 2020, France became a pathfinding country, making a formal government commitment to accelerate efforts to end violence against children. Building on this, the government launched the 2023–2027 National Action Plan to Combat Violence Against Children with 22 concrete actions to protect all children from any form of violence, including sexual violence. 

In 2025, France introduced a nationwide education programme on emotional, relational and sexual life aimed at addressing violence and harassment by strengthening children’s ability to seek help. France has banned corporal punishment in all settings and is one of only three countries in Europe to require Internet Service Providers to report suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Legal protections that criminalize sexual violence against children are reinforced by dedicated law enforcement units within the National Police and the National Gendarmerie responsible for investigating sexual violence against children.

Civil society has also played a major role in advancing prevention and response efforts in the country. Since 2024, BeBraveFrance has led the advocacy efforts around a potential survivor council in France. Consultations on this initiative are currently underway at the ministerial level around this project, marking an important opportunity to make sure survivor voices are integrated in policymaking.

What remains: Closing the gaps in protection

Leadership comes with responsibility. Closing these gaps will require action like: 

  • Strengthening access to justice by reforming statutes of limitation for child sexual abuse, including extending or abolishing time limits so survivors can come forward when they are ready—recognizing that many disclose later in life—and aligning with emerging global best practice outlined in the Brave Movement report Justice Without Borders: Reforming the Criminal Statute of Limitations for Child Sexual Abuse Across the European Union
  • Developing a national action plan that addresses online sexual violence against children and adolescents
  • Fully establishing a national survivors council and strengthen child participation in child protection and violence policy development
  • Mandating medical provider training on identifying and responding to sexual violence against children
  • Setting the minimum age of sexual consent to 18 with a close in age exemption
  • Establishing the legal age of marriage at age 18 with no exceptions
  • Requiring background checks for all adults working or volunteering with children 
  • Improving availability and quality of medical care for victims and survivors in all districts
  • Updating national clinical guidelines to include the collection and preservation of forensic evidence
  • Increasing availability to integrated victim and survivor services including health, psychosocial, child protection, legal, and justice support
  • Adding a module on online safety to the life-skills based sexuality and reproductive health education curriculum, focusing specifically on online grooming and exploitation
  • Adding a clear definition of grooming of children for sexual purposes to the laws criminalizing it
  • Collecting updated data on the national prevalence of sexual violence against children, including online sexual violence against children

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Data driving change

Third Richest Nation

www.bravemovement.org/campaigns/third-richest-nation

A world without childhood violence would be $7 trillion richer. This nation isn’t real. Its wealth could be. Brave Movement's survivor-led advocacy campaign at the G20 in 2025 pressured decision makers to invest in prevention, healing and justice to create stronger, happier nations.

#BeBrave G7 Scorecard 2025

www.bravemovement.org/g7

By evaluating each G7 nation’s progress on vital policy measures we're drawing global attention to the global, silent pandemic of sexual violence against children. This is a crisis that undermines the G7's commitment to building secure, prosperous, and equitable societies. Kids need bold leadership and decisive action now to be safe and thrive.

Break the record

www.togetherforgirls.org/en/press/a-record-breaking-event-now-governments-must-deliver

We broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ for the most countries represented at a childhood violence summit! With 120 governments attending, this first ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children was the largest organized event to address this issue on a global scale. Most importantly, as a result, we also broke the world’s record of inaction against childhood sexual violence.