By Halima Layeni |
A seemingly trivial moment captured on camera is now stirring a deeper conversation about domestic violence — or rather, the lack of one. Earlier today, a video clip surfaced online showing French President Emmanuel Macron being pushed on the cheek by his wife, Brigitte Macron, during what appeared to be a moment of private tension turned public.
Rather than igniting a discussion about respect, boundaries, and the pervasive nature of domestic violence, the footage became instant meme material. Social media exploded with jokes, ridicule, and jeering references to their well-publicized age gap. The moment, ripe with potential for reflection on abuse against men, was instead reduced to a cultural punchline.
There was no public outcry. No hashtags. No statements from advocacy groups. No condemnations from international bodies or feminist organizations. Just silence. A silence that is as troubling as it is telling.
If the roles had been reversed — if Macron had laid a hand on Brigitte — the reaction would have been immediate and forceful. Rightly so. Media headlines would scream. Protests would erupt. Politicians would issue statements. The world would pause in collective condemnation. Yet, when a male figure — a world leader — is on the receiving end of aggression, the world shrugs.
This disparity highlights a painful truth: society still struggles to see men as victims of abuse. Male suffering, especially at the hands of a partner, is often minimized, mocked, or outright dismissed. The belief that men are too strong to be victims, or worse, that they somehow deserve abuse, has made male victimhood invisible. And invisibility is lethal.
President Macron has long been scrutinized for his marriage to a woman 24 years his senior, often framed as a curiosity or scandal. That same age gap, had it favored the man, would likely be celebrated as empowerment or romance. Instead, Macron’s relationship is used to justify abuse. Today’s physical altercation — minor or not — was met not with empathy, but with mockery.
Behind the laughter is a crisis we continue to ignore. Male victims of domestic violence face staggering emotional and psychological trauma — depression, PTSD, anxiety, suicidal ideation — yet they are far less likely to report abuse. Why? Because they fear not being believed. Because help is scarce. Because shame is overwhelming. And because the world laughs when they speak.
We do not need fewer resources for women — we need more for men. More shelters. More funding. More trained therapists. More national campaigns that speak directly to male survivors. These are not competing priorities. They are shared ones. They are human ones.
Mainstream media must end the culture of humiliation and begin treating violence against men with the gravity it deserves. Our governments must ensure policy and protection apply to all, regardless of gender. Support should not be conditional. Dignity should not be selective.
Today, we saw abuse play out in front of the cameras. And the world laughed.
But tomorrow, perhaps we’ll reflect. Perhaps we’ll ask what kind of society we’re building — one where male suffering is a punchline, or one where every victim, every survivor, every human, truly matters.
Let us build the latter.
Halima Layeni is a men’s mental health advocate and Executive Director of the Life After Abuse Foundation. She works to raise awareness and create safe spaces for male survivors of domestic violence.
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