National action plan started: protect women from violence!

National action plan started: protect women from violence!

Österreich - On May 21, 2025, the professional association of Austrian psychologists (Böp) welcomes the start of the national action plan (NAP) against violence to women, which is led by women's minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner. The action plan aims to enable women and girls in Austria without violence and emphasizes the central role of clinical psychologists in violence and intervention. The BöP calls for psychological expertise to integrate early in all relevant NAP working groups in order to ensure effective measures. Böp President AO. Univ.-Prof.in Dr.in Beate Wimmer-Puchinger emphasizes the importance of psychological support for affected women and actively offers the technical expertise of the association in order to be integrated into the thematic working groups of the NAP. A non -violent Austria requires a common responsibility of politics, civil society and relevant professional groups, according to the Böp.

The NAP, part of the government program, will be valid from 2025 to 2029 and is intended to promote long -term development and implementation of measures to protect women and girls from violence. According to information from the Federal Chancellery, the plan is based on the recommendations of the European Council (Grevio), the Court of Auditors and the new EU directive to combat violence against women. A comprehensive violence protection strategy forms the basis of the NAP and focuses in particular on the advice of women in Austria.

goals of the national action plan

The NAP pursues several specific goals:

• Implementation of the Istanbul Convention at a strategic level.
• anchoring implementation goals, schedules and responsibilities.
• coordinated measures of the responsible departments with the integration of NGOs, specialist agencies and science.
• Transparent exploration of responsibilities and projects.

The Federal Government has also announced that it would develop a legislative proposal for the criminal prosecution of unwanted penis images. This form of sexual harassment is currently not punishable and represents a significant burden for those affected. Minister of Justice Anna Sporrer emphasizes the importance of this step, while club chairman Yannick Shetty emphasizes the need for a safe life for all people in Austria, especially for women who are exposed to targeted attacks.

In a clear commitment to cross -departmental cooperation, the government also invites the opposition to support the action plan. The federal government shows that violence against women is a structural problem that requires a coordinated, comprehensive answer. The Böp and other relevant actors are called to make their contribution to achieve this goal and create a non -violent environment.