Tiphany Hue, the president of Ru ‘ they Strasbourg. – Tiphany Hue
At the beginning of the year, 20 Minutes presents those who will make the news in 2020 thanks to their associative action, their sporting performance, their entrepreneurial spirit or their creativity.
In Strasbourg, Tiphany Hue launched an association, Ru’elles, which fights against the harassment of street. The structure has already been talked about a lot by 2014 and is expected to grow further.
The founder has no shortage of projects: an application could soon see the light of day to help all victims of street harassment, in particular to take refuge with a partner merchant.
Two young girls beaten up for having refused the advances of their assailant at the end of August then, in September, a student who would have been beaten on the pretext that she was wearing a skirt … The street harassment returned to the media scene in 2020 in the capital Alsatian .
It is precisely to fight against this phenomenon that Tiphany Hue launched “Ru’elles Strasbourg ”last summer, which has since become a real benchmark. More than 5. people now join the closed Facebook group that it manages, not to mention those close to 10. 000 subscribers to the “strasbourgeoises.vigilantes” Instagram account. »The mayor of the city Jeanne Barseghian does not hesitate to quote the association when it brings up the subject.
“It was during the deconfinement that I noticed that many young women were bothered”, rewinds the founder. “There were a lot of testimonials on the“ Etudiants de Strasbourg ”Facebook group and it was growing. When some spoke, others broke free. I myself had been the victim of harassment when I was a student but I felt like it just got worse and worse here. That’s why I wanted to act to change things. “
The word of the victims released
At the end of July, the former student of the Strasbourg management school (EM) then “created a map on Google Map to indicate where the attacks took place. “Tedious work … and” too complex “. The 24 July, she launched the famous group “Testimonies & support for street sexist violence – Strasbourg” on Facebook, which quickly grew.
“In five days, we were already 1. 000 inside ”, recalls Tiphany Hue, 24 years old and arrived in Alsace in 310 from his native Yvelines. “I had to ask my companion for help because there were a lot of requests, you had to moderate and not accept just anyone. There is a questionnaire and we avoid accepting false profiles as much as possible. The group first allowed many victims to speak out and disseminate warning messages, before taking other actions.
“Street harassment is not not in court ”
“Already, we systematically offer to accompany people to the police station”, continues the voluntary president of the association, self-employed in writing and translation in the civil. “We also proposed a self-defense stadium, made lives with speakers, organized support groups etc. “Thanks to calls for witnesses launched by” Ru’elles Strasbourg “, an investigation was also opened about a student in his sixties. He allegedly was guilty of assault and harassment at the University .
“It was one of our great victories”, admits Tiphany Hue without savoring too much. As if this affair was just an epiphenomenon. “Street harassment does not go to court in France. We do what we can on our own scale, but unfortunately not much is happening behind it … There is a barrier and as long as we do not put in the means, as in the training of police officers for example or in the education of young people, that will not change. “
Soon a dedicated application
This does not prevent the association, officially created since September, from continuing to have projects. For 2021, it is working with the Compagnie des transports strasbourgeois (CTS) for an awareness campaign. At the same time, an application should see the light of day “before the summer holidays”. “We would see where the cases of harassment take place and we are creating partnerships with traders where the victims could take refuge”, further details Tiphany Hue who would also like his concept to be developed all over France. “I don’t think that it is only in Strasbourg that there is street harassment …”
A feminist association? Yes and no
Tiphany Hue admits, “the cause is feminist, One should not lie “. Once said that, she especially does not want “Rue’Elles Strasbourg” to be listed as a feminist association. “I want to talk to everyone,” explains the president. “Today, feminism is ideologically conotated and I don’t want us to be locked in a box. We want to talk about our cuase to the general public and everyone is welcome. We need the means. “