Sexist and sexual violence in wine: “Documenting in order to better tackle it”

“ Sometimes, people are surprised and say to me: “Oh really, there’s sexism in the wine world too?” I reply: “Especially in the wine world!” A winemaker at the Côtes de la Molière estate (Beaujolais), Isabelle Perraud has worked in the wine industry for thirty-five years and has witnessed numerous cases of sexist and sexual violence: “ As a woman, in this very virile environment, but also by definition steeped in alcohol, we have a lot to say to each other. We warn each other, we support each other, we give each other advice,” says the woman who created Paye ton pinard in 2022, an association that collects victims’ testimonies, advocates and sets up awareness programs in wine schools.

Unique in France, the association has just joined the European Grapes of Changes project which brings together 14 structures from eight European countries to fight against violence against women.