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Protest action for sexual violence in front of the state parliament in Hanover

For better pay, adequate resources for their work and the implementation of the Istanbul Convention, 60 employees from specialist counseling centers for sexual violence, BISS counseling centers and women’s shelters from all over Lower Saxony have moved to the state parliament in Hanover.

Among them were five colleagues from Stadthagen, who responded to the call of the coordination office of the Lower Saxony women’s and girls’ advice centers against violence and the state women’s council.

Little public response

The campaign was two weeks ago and received little public response. “Unfortunately, apart from the Minister of Social Affairs, no ladies or gentlemen were admitted by politics, they had prematurely ended their meeting on that day.

Also read: 30 years of counseling for girls and women

Possibly a coincidence – or do the MPs shy away from the confrontation with women who have been working in this sector for 30 years and who are extremely committed? ”Asks Claudia Walderbach from the girls and women counseling center in Basta.

Lower Saxony guidelines on financing are being revised

The background to the protest action is that the Lower Saxony guidelines on the financing of women’s shelters and violence counseling centers are currently being revised and the plan is to freeze public funds at the 2017 level, which equates to a hidden cut.

Also interesting: Day of action “No to violence against women!”: Basta calls for more money, staff and attention

“The working conditions are therefore dying for female employees, because wage increases, increased running costs and pandemic-related additional costs are not absorbed,” said Walderbach. Women could therefore not be protected as they should.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Justice are not pulling together

The Lower Saxony Ministry of Social Affairs and Justice is not pulling together “and the immense increase in violence against girls and women since Corona seems to have been forgotten, unimportant, unnoticed”. In the next five years – the guideline applies from 2022 to 2027 – the protection against violence for girls and women and the qualified work of specialist women will be restricted even more, although both must be expanded, i.e. the advisors.

Need adequate care

Among other things, the Commission for the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Children and Adolescents in Lower Saxony confirmed in its report what is needed for appropriate care for children affected by violence as well as for prevention work and the development of protection concepts.

This commission has issued well-founded recommendations drawn up together with various professional groups. But even this report does not seem to have any relevance, “it is saved at the wrong end”. The specialist counseling centers finally need sufficient and predictable financing in order to be well positioned for their socially necessary services. R.

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