New women's shelter in Ried: protection for over 600 women and children

New women's shelter in Ried: protection for over 600 women and children

A new women's shelter was opened in Ried, which is an important step for the protection of women and children. Since its foundation in 1999, the Innviertel women's shelter has supported more than 650 women and 500 children in emergencies. A new building was urgently necessary due to the increased demand for protection and the inadequate spatial conditions. After two years of construction, the new facility has now been completed.

The women's shelter offers a total of 18 living spaces that are specially designed for women and children who have to flee from domestic violence. The costs for the new building were 2.1 million euros, financed by the departments for social affairs and housing subsidies. The exact location of the women's shelter remains secret for security reasons, which represents an important measure to protect the women and children living there.

important voice of the community

Christine Haberlander, the country's women's officer, commented on the importance of this facility by saying: "Violence on women and children is one of the ugliest sides of our society. With the opening of the new women's shelter in Ried, we take another important step to strengthen the protection network for women and children in our state." The mayor of Ried, Bernhard Zwielehner, also showed his support and emphasized that he would prefer if such a women's shelter were not necessary. He explained: "It is a shame that women's shelters are needed."

The managing director of the women's shelter Ried, Michaela Schrotter, made it clear that violence against women occurs in all social classes and that women affects women of all ages. An example of this is an 80-year-old woman who asked for help. Women are often afraid of taking advantage of help, especially if children are affected because they fear losing their children's father. This silence can have fatal consequences.

Schrot -emphasized that the women's shelter is not a prison; Women can come and go as the circumstances allow. It is important to show the ladies that they have control over their own lives and can continue their everyday life, including school visits for the children. Of the women who are looking for protection in the women's shelter, about a quarter return to their partner after a time, which illustrates the complexity of the situation. It is expected that the new house will be moved into this year, which can offer great consolation for the women and children concerned.

In addition, the women in the Innviertel have another women's shelter in Braunau, which was opened in 2023. This shows that the institutions work on creating a safe space for women and children who have to flee violence. The ongoing necessity of such facilities speaks volumes about the challenges that women often face in our society. More information about the situation and the developments offers of the articles on www.nachrichten.at .