"It's time that the macho, patriarchal society that trivialises rape changes," Gisele said in her closing statement at the trial. "It's time we changed the way we look at rape."

She made it clear: Survivors should not be shamed for being raped.

The French senate has since passed a bill last month to include lack of consent in the legal definition of rape, and redefine all sexual assault as “any non-consensual act”. The bill is now awaiting final adoption in both lower-house and senate. www.france24.com/en/live-news...

Her case also exposed gaps in French laws—where rape was not defined based on consent. It was defined as sexual penetration committed through violence, constraint, threat, or surprise—a deeply limiting definition. This sparked widespread debate, calling for legal reform. www.rfi.fr/en/france/20...

"I want any woman who wakes up one morning with no memories of the night before to remember what I said. So that no more women can fall prey to chemical submission. I was sacrificed on the altar of vice, and we need to talk about it,” Gisele said.

Gisele waived her right to anonymity during a trial against her husband who drugged her and invited 83 strangers to rape her for nearly a decade. She said she did it to raise public awareness about sexual assault and empower survivors to speak out.

“We would do well to remember that the courtroom is not a battleground, and the witness stand is not an arena for humiliation," Justice Hoong said. Read more of his recent statements: www.straitstimes.com/singapore/co...

It is exceedingly important that survivors feel safe enough to report sexual assault. This isn't always the case right now—only three out of 10 survivors that AWARE knows file official reports. The national average may be even lower.

Lawyers should not engage in antagonistic and oppressive questions toward survivors, Justice Hoong reminded. Last year, he said lawyers should not be asking survivors about their clothing in a way that implies it invited sexual assault, and other traumatising questions.

Illegitimacy is outrageous discrimination. No child should be punished for their parents' marital status.

We need government to remove illegitimacy laws and recognise that single unwed parents and their children are families too.

Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development, said laws that differentiate based on illegitimacy reflect social norms of "parenthood within marriage." Source: sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/spr...

But these norms discriminate and harm single unwed parents and their children.

They also still can't get the Parenthood Tax Rebate or the Working Mother's Child Relief—both are exclusive to married, divorced, and widowed parents. Source: www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/indivi...

After adoption, single parents get sole custody and can access the Qualifying Child Relief/Child Relief (Disability) tax relief. But HDB does not explicitly define a single parent and an adopted child is a family unit, so still no family housing and housing grants.

B is a single mother who faces adopting her own child to get sole custody. She says she'll have to hire a lawyer, go to court, and pay at least $4,000—which includes the $1,100 cost of an Adoption Suitability Assessment, where MSF will assess if she is suitable to adopt her own child.

Still, single unwed parents may want to adopt their own child to gain sole custody. If the other parent's name is on the child's birth certificate, or if they provide a DNA report, they can still make steps to claim custody. Source: www.singaporedivorcelawyer.com.sg/what-if-i-am...

Having an illegitimate child bars single unwed parents from housing, housing grants, and tax reliefs that married parents have access to.

Marrying the other parent grants access, but that's not always an option. Adopting their own child removes the label but won't solve most of these issues.