Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has awarded Gisele Pelicot the Encomienda de la Orden del Merito Civil in a ceremony held on Tuesday evening at the Palacio de la Moncloa in Madrid.
The decoration, granted on Sanchez’s own initiative, recognises distinguished civil merit and notable service benefiting Spain.
After the ceremony, Sanchez wrote on social media: ‘She made shame change sides and transformed silence into collective awareness.’
The event was also attended by Equality Minister Ana Redondo.
During the ceremony, Sanchez presented Pelicot with the Civil Merit medal, applauded her, and explained the reasoning behind the honour.
‘For being a symbol of dignity and resilience, you returned shame to those who deserve it,’ he said.
Pelicot wore a pin bearing her now internationally recognised slogan in English: ‘Shame must change sides.‘
In a brief speech, she reflected on the broader struggle against sexual violence.
‘It is easier to change laws than behaviours,’ she said, thanking Spain for its support throughout what she described as a painful process.
Under the regulations of the Order of Civil Merit, the distinction is awarded to Spanish or foreign citizens who have provided distinguished civil service or made notable contributions benefiting Spain.
Pelicot became a global symbol in the fight against sexual violence after her case shocked France in 2022.
It emerged that her husband had drugged her for years in order to rape her and had invited dozens of men to their home to abuse her.
In 2024, during the trial, Pelicot waived her right to anonymity and insisted on public hearings, in a decision that turned her into an international reference point for survivors’ rights.
Her message, ‘Shame must change sides’, resonated far beyond France.
Her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, along with around 50 other men, was found guilty. He received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
During her visit to Spain, Pelicot has also presented her memoir, Un himno a la vida (Lumen/Ara Llibres), in which she recounts her personal story – from childhood and family life to her professional career and long path toward recovery.
By awarding the Civil Merit honour, the Spanish government has framed Pelicot not only as a survivor, but as a figure whose courage has helped reshape the global conversation around sexual violence – shifting the burden of shame from victims to perpetrators.
