The conference proceedings, containing a summary of the event and all the presentations, are now available here. The presentation slides are also available for download. Anyone interested can still watch a video recording of the event. Here is a brief overview:
“It is clear to everyone that physical violence is a form of violence. The fact that psychological violence is also a form of violence is becoming increasingly recognised. But there are many forms of it that need to be recognised first, and that is what we want to work on,” said Ombudsperson Bernhard Achitz at the expert forum “Face it instead of turning away: Recognising, addressing and preventing violence against women and girls – taking responsibility in the health and social sectors”. In the run-up to International Women’s Day, the Austrian Ombudsman Board and the Forum Verfassung Foundation launched a follow-up series to the lecture series “One in Five”, which had been offered by MedUni Vienna in previous years. Social work students, people training for other social care professions and members of civil society had gathered at the event centre of the Constitutional Court (VfGH) for the occasion.
Ombudsperson Gaby Schwarz emphasised: “One in three women in Austria experiences male violence during her lifetime. It begins with belittlement, sexism and control, intensifies through physical violence and, in the worst cases, escalates into femicide.” The key to change, she said, is moral courage: “We must all be brave. Look up instead of looking away, offer women help, set boundaries for men and hold them to account. It’s not easy, but it’s something you can learn,” said the Ombudsperson, referring to violence prevention programmes such as “StoP – Neighbourhoods Free from Intimate Partner Violence”. She added that, particularly in the health and social care sectors, raising awareness of psychological trauma is also important: “Psychological violence is also violence. It is crucial to recognise this and to be able to provide the best possible support to the women affected.” In conclusion, Gaby Schwarz stated: “Every woman and every girl has the right to a life free from violence. I am committed to this as a woman, as a feminist and as Ombudsperson.”
Grabenwarter: The Constitutional Court addresses violence against women in many different contexts
“The Constitutional Court deals with violence against women in its day-to-day work in a wide variety of contexts,” said Constitutional Court President Christoph Grabenwarter: He cited an example: in several rulings concerning restraining orders following domestic violence, the Constitutional Court has granted the authorities involved a margin of discretion in assessing whether a situation poses a risk. In asylum law, particular attention is paid to grounds for seeking asylum such as forced marriage or female genital mutilation, but also, more generally, to allegations of violence against women in the country of origin. Grabenwarter also highlighted the legal requirement for hearings to be conducted by female judges.
Schierhuber: One in three women is affected by physical or sexual violence at some point in her life
The Forum Verfassung Foundation has a mandate to communicate the constitution in an accessible way and, above all, to engage with young people, said Michaela Schierhuber, the foundation’s managing director: “I am therefore particularly pleased that the conference is aimed primarily at students, who will take the knowledge imparted today with them into their future professional lives. The fact that one in three women is affected by physical or sexual violence at some point in her life affects me deeply, not only as a woman but also in my role as managing director.” The speakers covered a wide range of topics: “A human rights-based approach as a framework, practical experience from medicine, nursing and social work, and various prevention strategies.”
Holzleithner: Criminal law can only be one aspect of the fight against violence
“It is the state’s duty to guarantee equal freedom for all. For women, this right has long been neglected,” said Elisabeth Holzleithner, a lawyer and legal philosopher at the Juridicum of the University of Vienna, in her keynote speech “Violence against women as a human rights violation”. As well as physical, sexual and psychological violence, women are also exposed to economic violence – a fact that is still not widely recognised. For a long time, private life was regarded as something one did not look at too closely. “But taking a close look is one of the key achievements of feminism,” said Holzleithner. Violence is often a symptom of wider discrimination, a consequence of unequal power relations. “Legal measures are needed to promote equality, but so too are measures to bring about changes in attitudes and behaviour. The aim is to reach people’s hearts and minds, as the Istanbul Convention states.” Both women’s rights and their economic independence must be strengthened.
States are obliged to provide protection against violence. Human rights violations resulting from violence constitute a criminal offence, but if the state fails to provide adequate protection, the case can be brought before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and states have already been found in breach of their obligations. Criminal law is certainly an important tool for combating violence. “But it can only be one element of a comprehensive approach to combating violence,” said Holzleithner. She lamented the current backlash against legal measures promoting equality and also criticised “ethno-nationalist tendencies” – that is, when violence against women is portrayed as something that always originates solely from certain “others”, such as asylum seekers. Holzleithner concluded by echoing Gisèle Pelicault’s call: “May the shame be on the other side!”
https://rechtsphilosophie.univie.ac.at/
Schrammel: Many women are completely unaware that they are affected by violence
“More than a third of the women who come to us have experienced violence. But many do not even realise that they are affected by violence,” said Barbara Schrammel of “Frauen* beraten Frauen*”: “Many have specific definitions of violence in their minds – often only physical violence, but not psychological or institutional violence. It is only through us that they learn that what is happening to them is violence.” Things such as humiliation, belittling, cyber violence, etc. – all of this is part of everyday life for many women, especially during separations and divorces, said the psychotherapist and family counsellor.
https://frauenberatenfrauen.at/
Nebois-Zeman: Women more frequently affected by violence in care homes
Grainne Nebois-Zeman from the VertretungsNetz association monitors restrictions on freedom in care homes and facilities for people with disabilities. “The boundaries between permissible and impermissible violence are becoming blurred. We have the option of seeking a judicial review to determine whether the use of coercion was justified. In the case of female residents, the line into violence is crossed more often – by men, but also by women working in care roles.” Examples include being restrained during personal hygiene care, “which we only ever see happening to female residents.” One reason may be that less physical force is required in such cases. “Thanks to the Residential Care Act and the OPCAT inspections carried out by the Ombudsman’s Office, conditions for residents have improved significantly, but there is still a long way to go. We need to raise awareness – and secure more financial and human resources, as time pressures on care staff are often a cause of violence.
Berzlanovich: Women live longer, but they also suffer for longer
“Things are getting better, even if only in small steps,” said Andrea Berzlanovich, a doctor and long-standing director of the lecture series “One in Five”. She also chairs one of the commissions at the Ombudsman’s Office and described how the commission conducts its unannounced inspections in care homes: “We repeatedly ask the people living in these facilities how long they have to wait for help. The answer is usually: ‘It’s fine anyway.’ But when you ask more specifically: ‘It’s often half an hour.’ Imagine you need to go to the toilet and have to wait 30 minutes. Or you’re told: ‘Just go in your trousers.’ As a result, many don’t drink enough, which in turn can lead to health problems.” Simply because of their higher life expectancy, women are more likely to be residents of care homes and therefore victims of such abuse: “Women live longer, but they also suffer for longer.”
https://www.facebook.com/andrea.berzlanovich.3/
Loeffler-Stastka: Recognising fear, because fear lies behind the aggression
Henriette Loeffler-Stastka, a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapeutic medicine at MedUni Vienna, spoke about dealing with violence in the healthcare sector through communication. She trains (future) doctors to recognise emotions from facial expressions during conversations, as the relational aspect must always be taken into account in medical discussions: “50 to 80 per cent of communication is non-verbal.” With the increasing prevalence of digital medicine, it is becoming ever more important to provide training in building rapport. Loeffler-Stastka: “How can you tell from the person you’re talking to that they are, for example, afraid? That needs to be taught. I have never been confronted with aggression that wasn’t also driven by fear, and that must be recognised.” This applies not only to initial training but also to continuing professional development. It concerns all professional groups working in primary care – not just doctors, but also, for example, the fire service.
‘samara’: Empowering young people through workshops
Andrea Arnold and Marion Gruber from “samara – Association for the Prevention of (Sexualised) Violence” reported on workshops they run for school classes and, on occasion, for shared accommodation facilities run by child and youth welfare services. They present the young people with “real” statements from their peers and then ask “Have you experienced this? What do you think about it?” One example: “If my sister is seeing a boy, I get into trouble.” This elicits a wide range of reactions and feelings, which are then discussed and spark a dialogue within the group. “It takes courage to tackle difficult topics – on the part of the young people, but also on our part,” say Arnold and Gruber. An empowerment-based approach is also important; to this end, schoolgirls are confronted with statements such as “I can protect myself on my own!”
https://praevention-samara.at/
Bissuti: “Between muscles, media and masculinity”
Romeo Bissuti, chair of the White Ribbon Campaign and director of the Vienna Men’s Health Centre, also spoke about his work with – in this case – teenage boys. “You have to work with what’s there,” he said, referring, for example, to the cult of the body in gyms. “Between Muscles, Media and Masculinity” is a way to engage with young men. 63 per cent of men regularly consume content from masculinity influencers, but “We mustn’t assume that all young people who consume this content adopt it and believe it wholesale. The lads do indeed have a selective perception; their consumption is sometimes ironic.” Bissuti warned that one must also bear in mind the negative aspects of awareness-raising projects, as fewer men are toxic than is often assumed – and if one takes too moralising an approach with them, it can backfire. It’s important that more men talk to other men about violence, because men listen closely to other men. “But very often, it’s only women who talk about violence.”
Leeb: Listening and observing so that we know what’s on young people’s minds
Philipp Leeb was a teacher for many years and is the founder of “poika – Association for the Promotion of Gender-Sensitive Work with Boys in Education and Teaching”. He also works with youth groups and reports: “Children experience, see and hear violence; they bring this with them to school. School is also a space where violence occurs, and one where we need to look very closely. Much of it happens unconsciously, some of it deliberately.” Pupils often tell him about incidents of abuse, particularly in the form of racist insults from teaching staff. “We have to report this. Then they have the opportunity to reflect and make a change. Sometimes they are also reprimanded.” Listening is his motto: “I actually speak very little during the workshops. You have to give the young people space.” And we also need to engage with what they’re looking at on social media: “Otherwise, we’ll never understand what they’re getting up to.”
Rösslhumer: We can all play our part in combating violence!
The closing remarks were made by Maria Rösslhumer, who headed the Autonomous Austrian Women’s Shelters (AÖF) for many years and was also one of the initiators of the lecture series ‘One in Five’: “Austria has long been an international role model in the field of protection against violence. We have exclusion orders, restraining orders, women’s refuges, counselling centres and so on, but why can’t we manage to combat violence against women!? Violence continues to rise; it is no longer one in five, but one in three women who are affected by violence. Why do women still have to flee to women’s refuges with their children?” “It’s not just organisations and authorities; we can all play a part in preventing violence,” says the chair of the association “StoP – Neighbourhoods Free from Domestic Violence”: “StoP starts right here, as a neighbourhood project. We empower the neighbourhood so that it can take action!”
One in three women is a victim of physical or sexual violence at some point in her life. The Ombudsman’s Office and the Constitutional Court have addressed the issue of how to recognise and prevent violence
