On 26 November, the Austrian Ombudsman Board will continue its series of events on the topic of violence against women and girls, in collaboration with the Forum Verfassung Foundation. The aim of this event is to raise awareness of gender-based violence, particularly in the context of social work, social pedagogy, healthcare and the legal professions. The event is primarily aimed at people who wish to work in these professions in the future, such as students at Universities of Applied Sciences studying social work, or at colleges of social pedagogy, medicine or law. The particular focus in November is on working with children and adolescents.
“Face it instead of turning away: nudes, hate and death threats” – Recognising, addressing and preventing online violence against women and girls – Taking responsibility in the health sector and the sector of social affairs
Thursday, 26 November 2026, 9.00 am to 1.00 pm,
Doors open from 8.30 am
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Constitutional Court of Austria, Freyung 8, 1010 Vienna
The entire event will be interpreted live into Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS).
Attending in person: Places at the venue are limited. Please register here and cancel in good time if you are unable to attend! This will allow other interested parties to attend in person.
Joining the livestream: You will be able to access the livestream here on 26 November 2026 at around 9.00 am. You do not need any login details. You will find the video window at the end of this post.
What can you expect?
Experts will explain what online hate and cyberbullying are, where online violence begins, and how this relates to human rights. Practitioners from the fields of law, media and social work will report on how to respond appropriately and which prevention strategies are successful. As well as raising awareness of this form of gender-based violence, the expert forum aims to impart practical skills for recognising, address and report online violence, to highlight the human rights obligations of state institutions and professionals, and to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and awareness-raising.
From the programme:
- Welcome and introduction: Verena Madner, Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of Austria; Michaela Schierhuber – Managing Director of the Forum Verfassung Foundation; Ombudsperson Bernhard Achitz
- Keynote: “Stop whingeing, you’re just a weak girl.” Experiences of persons concerned, with Frederika Ferková – ‘Proceedings against Dickpics’, Jelena Gučanin – journalist & Ombudsperson Gaby Schwarz
- Expert panel: “Helpless or helpful in the face of online hate” – Fiorentina Azizi-Hacker – ZARA – Civil Courage and Anti-Racism Work, Contact Point for Online Hate; Johanna Eteme – Head of the Department for Fundamental and Human Rights Affairs at the Ministry of the Interior, member of the Human Rights Advisory Council of the Austrian Ombudsman Board & Eva Hammertinger – lawyer specialising in media law
- Short presentations on prevention strategies: Setara-Anna Lorenz – SaferInternet.at, media educator; Stephanie Mayerhofer – NEUSTART, intervention services for hate crime & Christian Szabady – Rat auf Draht, emergency helpline for children and adolescents
- Conclusion & reflection: Discussion with participants, invitation to join further initiatives and networks
- Moderator: Ombudsperson Bernhard Achitz
