Darmstadt fights against violence: No means no to protect women!

Darmstadt fights against violence: No means no to protect women!

Darmstadt, Deutschland - In Darmstadt, a strong sign is set against sexual violence! On November 25th, the international day against violence on women, the city starts a sensational information campaign under the motto "No means no". This initiative aims to raise awareness of sexualized violence and to offer affected help. Posters are attached to all buses, lanes and 170 stops in the city to draw attention to the various forms of sexual violence and to present the contact points for victims.

sexualized violence often begins with obscene and gestures and can lead to rape. Edda Fess, head of the women's office, warns: Every third woman in Germany experiences violence at least once in her life! The increase in cases of sexual violence in childhood and adolescence, which has increased by 35 percent in the past five years, has also been shocking. The city of Darmstadt and the Darmstadt-Dieburg district work together in the violence protection network to offer affected women and girls.

alarming numbers and support

The advice centers record a dramatic increase in help seeking: Wildwasser reported 315 women and adolescents last year, an increase of 18 percent compared to 2022. Pro Familia reported in 2023 of 98 cases in the advice centers for sexual violence. Mayor Barbara Akdeniz emphasizes that 80 percent of the incidents take place in the private environment, which underlines the urgency of the campaign. "For violence in any form, we have zero tolerance in Darmstadt," said Akdeniz.

The campaign costs 20,000 euros, and the city is investing a total of 275,000 euros in violence protection. But the support from the federal government has so far been no. The initiators of the campaign hope that they will not only encourage those affected, but also outsiders to help and to raise awareness of this critical topic. Information and help are available at darmstadt.de/hilfe .