French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday proposed a raft of measures to combat "horrific and shameful" violence against women, as leaders and activists around the globe spoke out on the issue.

"Our entire society is sick with sexism," Macron said in Paris, pledging to make gender equality a major theme of his administration.

He spoke as rallies were held from Brazil to Kosovo to mark the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is intended to raise awareness of the dangers women face.

Those hazards have been front-page news this year as highlighted by the fall of powerful men in the US and beyond following sexual misconduct allegations, starting with movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Weeks after the Weinstein story emerged, the #MeToo hashtag burst into the social media spotlight and snowballed into an online movement as women across the world reveal similar experiences.

When Macron spoke on Saturday he began with a minute of silence to remember the 123 women killed in 2016 in France by their partner or ex-partner.

"France must no longer be one of those countries where women are afraid," he said.

AFP