Tyrol's commitment to violence: new protection accommodations and actions

Tyrol's commitment to violence: new protection accommodations and actions

From November 25th to December 10th, the global campaign “16 days against violence against women” takes place, which draws attention to the rights and protection of women and girls. The start of this action period was celebrated in the district administration of Lienz with several important local actors. Media representatives were invited to discuss the ongoing programs and the current state of violence measures.

With the support of women's country councilor Eva Pawlata and other participants, it was emphasized how important the expansion of protective accommodation is. Six new transitional apartments are now part of the offer in Tyrol, which increases the number of places for women and children in women's shelters to 75 for women and 110 for children. This development is crucial in order to be able to offer fast and nearby help in acute violent situations.

connected initiatives for violence prevention

In Tyrol, a concentrated focus is on sensitization and combating violence as a social problem. This includes both physical violence and newer forms such as cyber violence, which is often exercised via digital channels. Cyber violence can be shown in many forms, including by stalking or hate speech on social media.

The women's center East Tyrol has played an important role in supporting women in difficult life situations since 1986. A total of over 30,000 stay days for affected women and their children have already been recorded there. Last year alone there were 835 stay days for six women and four children. These institutions not only offer a shelter, but also legal and social advice to support women in their autonomy.

In order to raise awareness of violence against women, the Soroptimist International Club Lienz/East Tyrol initiated the "Orange the World" campaign. During the campaign time, numerous buildings in Tyrol orange are illuminated to set a strong sign against violence. Orange symbolizes solidarity and reinforcement in the fight against gender -specific violence.

In addition, as part of this initiative "Lila Rosen", places are placed in public locations, including through creative contributions from women from the women's center. These roses, which were created during an action by the Innsbruck Association "Rosesagainstviolence", set a sign against violence worldwide.

In Lienz alone, almost 2,000 consultations were carried out in 2023 to ensure support for women and girls in different situations. In order to make the offer of help further known, an overview is provided that also contains information material for witnesses. Interested parties can find this information at www.getfrei-tirol.at.