Marriage is a celebration of love and a signaling to others the pretense of committing yourself to someone emotionally for a significant period of time both before and after the actual ceremony.
Western marriage is no longer seen as a political economic and social contract binding two families. (Although choosing a partner for economic and cultural capital remains pertinent).
We are stranded. Lost in time. Between a future then and a present now. Limited sensory perception. No ESP. Real or imagined. Faces flash by. Expressions in flux. Memories scrambled.
So often a seemingly innocent flirtation proceeds without encouragement. Until the scenario changes. The mood darkens. Communication ceases. And one suddenly faces unwelcome abuse.
I have never been a victim of any type of sexual violence. Many of my friends are actually subjected to street harassment on a daily basis. This type of aggression has almost been trivialized and it is unbearable.
Plenty of girls have not taken legal and/or public action concerning sexual aggression or abuse they encountered in France. They are hesitant because we treat those whole experiences quite badly.
In France, many movements, thanks to social medias and feminist associations, have legitimized the speech of victims and expanded the people's understanding of sexual assaults.
I never personally had to seek justice but have heard from friends about violence to which they were exposed. Some got harassed, grabbed without consent or in the worst cases, raped.