‘Our champion’ Pelicot opens up global conversation on sexual violence

She has been hailed as a feminist hero across France, commended for her courage at rallies across the country and applauded by supporters every time she enters or leaves the courtroom in the southern city of Avignon.

- Ashifa Kassam

But the tributes to Gisèle Pelicot - the woman at the centre of a horrifying mass rape trial that has shaken France to its core - also come from far beyond its borders. Since the trial of her former husband, Dominique, began in September, solidarity has been expressed around the world, hinting at the role she has played in galvanising a global conversation around sexual violence.

From Australia to Austria, many have closely tracked the news emerging from the courtroom in Provence, where Dominique is accused of drugging her for nearly a decade and recruiting men to rape her while she was unconscious. Fifty other men are also on trial for alleged rape.

Dedicating her battle to all those who have survived sexual violence, Gisèle Pelicot opted to allow the trial to be public and pushed for the court to exhibit the videos, recorded by her then husband, that show men engaging in intercourse with her while she was unconscious.

In Australia, Pelicot's bravery resonated deeply with the Older Women's Network (OWN). For years, the organisation had been working to publicise the sexual assault of older women; now its members have watched in awe as Pelicot assures survivors that they are not alone in this struggle.

"If we could be there, we would hold up placards with 'We believe you, Gisèle' and 'You are our champion' - that's what we would write," said Yumi Lee of OWN.

Instead, members of the network collected donations to send a silk scarf crafted by First Nations women to Pelicot. "We hope when she wears it, she knows she has the backing and solidarity of women who are thousands of kilometres from the courtroom," said Lee.