On Friday, January 24, 2025, the Kering Foundation participated in the inauguration of the Maison des femmes Marseille Provence. The ceremony was attended by Yannick Neuder, Minister of Health and Access to Care, representatives from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region, the Bouches-du-Rhône Departmental Council, the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolitan Area, and the city of Marseille, along with medical and community actors such as the Regional Health Agency Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, AP-HM (Public Assistance – Hospitals of Marseille), the CME of AP-HM, alongside the team from the Maison des femmes Marseille Provence led by Professor Florence Bretelle, its head of service, and Céline Bonnaire, Executive Director of the Kering Foundation.

This inauguration follows the move, in September 2024, of the Maison des femmes into a 460 m² townhouse located near La Conception and Timone hospitals. This relocation allowed the facility to expand its healthcare services, strengthen its team, and develop new projects to better meet the needs of women victims of violence.

Since 2021, the Kering Foundation has supported the expansion of the Maison des Femmes Restart model across France, as part of the commitment made by François-Henri Pinault, its president and CEO of the Kering Group, to contribute to the creation of 15 Maisons des femmes nationwide. The one in Marseille Provence is the first to have benefited from this support.

The Genesis of the Maisons des femmes

This Maison des femmes fully aligns with the framework of the Maisons des femmes from the Restart collective, a movement initiated by Dr. Ghada Hatem-Gantzer. This model was established in 2016 with the opening of the Maison des femmes in Saint-Denis, an innovative institution born from the realization that there lacked a multidisciplinary center for women who have experienced violence. Before the creation of such facilities, women facing these challenges had to navigate multiple steps, without a unified place to support them through the various aspects of their healing journey. This approach was therefore designed to address this gap: a one-stop center providing holistic support, connected to a hospital to ensure medical, psychological, legal, and social care, while being a welcoming space accessible to all women, with no preconditions.

Over the years, this model of Maison des femmes has expanded, and today 17 Maisons des femmes are open in France and Belgium, with five other projects underway. This growth demonstrates the relevance and impact of the approach, as well as the increasing recognition of the need for comprehensive care adapted to the specific needs of women who have experienced physical, psychological, sexual, or economic violence.

A Support Center for Women Victims of Violence

Initially opened in January 2022 within La Conception hospital, the Maison des femmes is a healthcare service of AP-HM (Public Assistance – Hospitals of Marseille), dedicated to supporting women victims of violence. It was founded by five healthcare professionals: Florence Bretelle, Françoise Cerri, Helene Heckenroth, Anaïs Nuttall, and Sophie Tardieu.

Since its creation, the center has welcomed 758 women aged 16 to 70, from 45 countries and all social backgrounds. More than 7,550 consultations have been conducted over three years. To date, 139 women have completed their care journeys. These figures highlight the importance of such a facility in supporting women. Currently, the team at La Maison des femmes, composed of nearly 60 professionals and volunteers, receives between 20 and 40 patients per day.

Individual and Group Care to Break the Cycle of Violence

The Maison des Femmes Marseille Provence offers three individual care paths:

1. Violence
2. Female genital mutilation
3. Pregnant women in situations of violence

These different paths are supervised by obstetrician-gynecologists, general practitioners, psychiatrists, sexologists, midwives, psychologists, and social workers, with direct access to the technical equipment of La Conception hospital.

In addition to individual care, the Maison des femmes provides collective support, which is essential in care pathways. Discussion groups are organized around specific themes such as past domestic violence, female genital mutilation and sexuality, and women in exile. Various workshops are also offered, such as Afrovibe dance sessions with Maryam Kaba, karate with the Fight For Dignity association, or French language and literacy workshops in partnership with the Théâtre de la Joliette. Additionally, legal consultations and public writing services are provided through partnerships with the Marseille Bar Association and the L'encre bleue association.

In 2025, new workshops will enrich the offerings at the Maison des Femmes, including a socio-esthetic workshop, prenatal yoga, gardening classes, as well as a women's library and a photographic exhibition from the Joie Ultra Lucide workshop.

Beyond the direct support and care provided to the women who visit the Maison des Femmes, the facility also plays a significant role in university teaching, research, and prevention, contributing to a comprehensive approach to supporting women victims of violence.

Unanimous and Collective Support: Numerous Contributors to the Maison des femmes

During her speech, Céline Bonnaire, Executive Director of the Kering Foundation, particularly highlighted the public-private partnership mobilized around this project to end violence against women. Indeed, the Maison des Femmes Marseille Provence receives continuous and collective assistance from many public and private institutions to carry out its mission of supporting women victims of violence.

The organization also benefits from the commitment of a renowned sponsor, singer Clara Luciani, who actively advocates for the cause of women and the actions led by the facility. This visible and publicized sponsorship helps raise awareness among a wide audience about the issue of domestic violence and the importance of supporting its victims.

Photos: Julie Fuchs