Resthissation in Perg: Start of the action week against violence to women

Resthissation in Perg: Start of the action week against violence to women

perg. On November 25th at 3:30 p.m. a flag is hoisted in Perg with the motto "Free living without violence". This campaign marks the beginning of the international campaign "16 days against violence against women and girls". The women's advice Perg will organize numerous events to draw attention to this urgent problem that is discussed by December 10th, the international day of human rights.

The action period offers a platform for women's initiatives worldwide to draw attention to the different forms of violence against women and girls. Women's advice Perg has been active in this campaign since 2010 and is working on clarification and prevention.

challenging statistics

The explosive topicality of the topic is underpinned by the numbers of the police: in the period from January 1 to October 31, 2023, a total of 70 bans and rapprochement bans were pronounced in the district of Perg due to domestic violence. "The issue of violence in relationships concerns us continuously in our advisory work," explains Elisabeth Glawitsch from the Women's Advice Perg.

violence in their facets

A common misunderstanding is that women assume that violence only begins with physical attacks. Many do not know that mental violence - such as isolation, control and manipulation - can also be devastating. This form of violence is often more difficult to recognize and prove. Glawitsch emphasizes that physical violence mostly follows mental violence and that fear, shame and the feeling of being to blame often prevent women from filing a complaint.

The increasing digital violence against women is particularly alarming. According to Glawitsch, clients report (ex) partners who try to take control and areolate them through digital services and technologies. Cyber-Talking, in which perpetrators monitor the movements of women on the Internet, is now part of everyday life. The digital world is becoming increasingly a scene of domestic violence, in which the perpetrator also deals with threats, for example by threatening, spreading intimate images.

Since 2022, the prevention project "Stop - districts without partner power" has been implemented in the Perg district. The aim of this project is to focus more on violence prevention through additional financial resources. Women's advice is required to develop creative approaches and support women who suffer from violence.

The importance of this initiative cannot be assessed highly enough. It not only offers support and help for those affected, but also makes a decisive contribution to raising awareness in society for the topic of violence against women. It remains to be seen which other activities and measures are carried out again in the municipality as part of this campaign in order to continue this important debate and to influence them sustainably.