National action plan: Protect women better from violence!

National action plan: Protect women better from violence!

With the presentation of the “National Action Plan against Violence against Women”, the federal government has taken an important step towards better protection measures for women and girls in Austria. Women's Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner (SPÖ) presented the action plan on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, which runs until 2029. The aim is to bundle measures to protect against violence and thus make them more effective. According to the official announcement from VOL.AT The implementation takes place in close cooperation with various organizations, including the Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters and the Network of Austrian Advice Centers for Women and Girls.

The action plan takes into account the implementation of the Istanbul Convention and defines clear responsibilities and binding timetables. A particular focus is on combating digital violence, with the aim of prosecuting the unsolicited sending of penis pictures. This issue is becoming increasingly important and the action plan aims to provide comprehensive strategies to protect women in all areas of life.

Measures to combat violence

The federal government has also developed a violence protection strategy for the years 2025 to 2030, which includes extensive measures to prevent and combat violence against women. This is based on a draft by Federal Minister for Women Lisa Paus, which was presented on December 11, 2024. According to the 'Gender-Specific Violence' study from 2023, the numbers are frightening: a femicide is recorded almost every day in Germany and around 400 women are victims of intimate partner violence every day. These alarming statistics illustrate the urgent need for action.

The violence protection strategy includes 120 concrete measures, including:

• Gewalthilfegesetz für kostenlosen Anspruch auf Schutz und Beratung
• Gesetz zur Stärkung der Strukturen gegen sexuelle Gewalt an Kindern und Jugendlichen (UBSKMG)
• Reform des Gewaltschutzgesetzes
• Gesetz gegen digitale Gewalt
• Anspruch auf vertrauliche Spurensicherung für Betroffene sexueller Gewalt

All planned measures are documented in detail with the necessary resources, schedules and responsibilities. In addition, a coordination office will be set up to strengthen the implementation of the Istanbul Convention, as stated below BMFSFJ.de is explained.

The Federal Government's overarching goal is to ensure a meaningful integration of measures and processes in order to effectively combat gender-based violence. The commitment to these comprehensive protection strategies is underlined by the need to reform social structures and legal frameworks in order to effectively protect women and girls.