16 days against violence: the city wants to strengthen civil courage and awareness
The “16 days against violence against women” cover the period between November 25th and December 10th. In the city of Salzburg, they want to strengthen civil courage through various projects.
SALZBURG. The numbers are alarming: 307 entry and approach bans have already been issued in the city of Salzburg this year. In the field of child and youth welfare, there are an average of 140 risk assessments per month. The child protection center in the city of Salzburg looked after around 300 underage victims of abuse and violence as well as a further 300 caregivers.
Violence barometer for enlightenment
The number of unreported victims of domestic violence is even higher, emphasize Social Councilor Anja Hagenauer and Women’s Representative Alexandra Schmidt. “The topic of violence, whether physical or psychological, must be discussed publicly and without taboos. Most of the violence doesn’t appear anywhere because the topic is still associated with shame, it’s still a big topic,” said Hagenauer and Schmidt.
In addition, many people do not even know what violence is, they are often not even aware that they are already exposed to violence, says Schmidt. For this reason, a “violence barometer” has now been developed in seven languages. There you can use a “traffic light system” to see when a situation is “violent” and you should get help. “More education and awareness-raising is needed. We’re bringing the anti-violence institutions in front of the curtain to provide information and motivate those affected to seek help,” says Hagenauer.
Project in the district of Lehen
But it is also about raising public awareness. To report if you notice that violence is taking place in your environment or in the neighborhood. The project “StoP partner violence”, which is being implemented in the residents’ service in Lehen, is also intended to help.
“The central question is: what can I do as a neighbor in the event of domestic violence? There is an exchange and information at women’s and men’s tables, the focus is on developing new ideas against domestic violence. There are also regular workshops on the subject of civil courage “Neighbors are often close to what’s happening, so it’s important not to look away, but to help. In Lehen, the project has already received a lot of local support from the residents,” says Hohenwarter.
Too few social workers
In addition to comprehensive reconnaissance, there is also an urgent need for more staff. “There are not enough social workers. We have high increases in risk assessments in child and youth welfare, but there is a lack of sufficient staff. This causes long waiting times, the situation is becoming more and more precarious. We need more social workers, that’s why we need one better pay for this highly complex job,” says Hagenauer.
On November 25, the international day of remembrance for all women and girls who have been victims of violence, the global campaign “16 Days Against Violence” started. Until December 10, International Human Rights Day, this period will be used worldwide to raise awareness of the extent and manifestations of violence against women.
You can read another report on the subject here:
Orange trees on Residenzplatz as a sign against violence