"Everyone realises that physical violence is violence. The fact that psychological violence is also violence is also becoming increasingly recognised. But we want to work on the fact that there are many other forms of violence that still need to be recognised," 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 Constitution Forum Foundation launched a follow-up format to the lecture series "One in Five", which was organised by MedUni Vienna in previous years. Students of social work and people in training for other social professions as well as people from civil society came to the event centre of the Constitutional Court (VfGH).
Ombudsperson Gaby Schwarz emphasised: "One in three women in Austria experience male violence in their lives. It starts with belittlement, sexism, control, escalates into physical violence and, in the worst case, escalates into femicide." The key to change is civil courage: "We all have to be courageous. Facing it instead of turning away, offer women help, show men boundaries and hold them accountable. It's not easy, but it can be learned," says the Ombudsperson, referring to violence prevention programmes such as "StoP - neighbourhood without partner violence. Sensitisation to psychological scars is also important, especially in the health and social sector: "Psychological violence is also violence. It is crucial to recognise this and to be able to give the women affected the best possible support." Gaby Schwarz concluded: "Every woman and every girl has the right to a life without violence. As a woman, as a feminist and as an Ombudsperson, I am committed to this."
Grabenwarter: Constitutional Court deals with violence against women in many contexts
"The Constitutional Court deals with violence against women in its daily work in very different contexts," said Constitutional Court President Christoph Grabenwarter: "In several decisions, the Constitutional Court has granted the intervening bodies a margin of discretion in assuming a dangerous situation for entry and approach bans following domestic violence, for example," he said. In asylum law, particular attention is paid to reasons for flight such as forced marriage or genital mutilation, but also in general to allegations of violence against women in the country of origin. Grabenwarter also pointed out the legal requirement for female judges to conduct interviews.
Schierhuber: Every third woman is affected by physical or sexual violence in her life
The Forum Constitution Foundation has the task of communicating the constitution in a low-threshold manner and addressing young people in particular, 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 into their future professional lives. The fact that one in three women is affected by physical or sexual violence in their lives is very concerning for me as a woman, but also in my position as Managing Director." The speakers will cover a wide range of topics: "A human rights approach as a framework, practical experience from medicine, nursing and social work and different prevention approaches."
Holzleithner: Criminal law can only be one aspect of the fight against violence
"The task of the state is to ensure equal freedom for all. This right has long been neglected for women," said Elisabeth Holzleithner, lawyer and legal philosopher at the University of Vienna's Juridicum, in her keynote speech "Violence against women as a violation of human rights". In addition to physical, sexual and psychological violence, women are also exposed to economic violence, something that is still too little recognised. For a long time, private life was seen as something that was not looked at closely. "But taking a closer look is one of the key achievements of feminism," said Holzleithner. Violence is often a symptom of broader discrimination, a consequence of unequal power relations. "We need legal measures for equality, but also measures to change mindsets and behaviour. The aim is to reach 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. Violation of human rights through violence is a criminal offence, but if the state provides too little protection, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) can be called upon, and states have already been condemned. Criminal law is an important means of combating violence. "But it can only be one element of a comprehensive approach to violence," said Holzleithner. She lamented the current backlash against legal measures for equality and also criticised "ethnonationalist tendencies", i.e. when violence against women is presented as something that only ever comes from certain "others", such as asylum seekers. Holzleithner concluded with Gisèle Pelicault's demand: "May shame change sides!"
https://rechtsphilosophie.univie.ac.at/
Schrammel: Many women don't even realise that they are affected by violence
"More than a third of the women who come to us are affected by violence. But many don't even know that they are affected by violence," said Barbara Schrammel from "Frauen* beraten Frauen*": "Many have certain definitions of violence in their heads - often only physical violence, but not psychological or institutional violence. They only learn from us that what happens to them is violence." The psychotherapist and family counsellor said that humiliation, devaluation, cyber violence, etc. are all part of everyday life for many women, especially during separations and divorces.
https://frauenberatenfrauen.at/
Nebois-Zeman: Women more often affected by violence in institutions
Grainne Nebois-Zeman from the organisation VertretungsNetz monitors restrictions on freedom in care homes and facilities for people with disabilities. "The boundaries between authorised and unauthorised violence are becoming blurred. We have the option of having a court review whether coercion was justified. In the case of women, the boundary to violence is often crossed by men, but also by women in the caring professions." Examples include being held down during intimate care, "we only ever see that with female residents." One reason for this may be that less physical strength is required. "A lot has improved for residents thanks to the Nursing and Residential Homes Residence Act and the Ombudsman Board's OPCAT inspections, but there is still a long way to go. We need to raise awareness - and more financial and human resources, because a lack of time on the part of care staff is often a reason for violence.
Berzlanovich: Women live longer, but they also suffer longer
"Things are getting better, even if only in small steps," said Andrea Berzlanovich, a doctor and long-standing head of the "One in Five" lecture series. She also heads one of the commissions of the Austrian Ombudsman Board and reported on how it proceeds in its unannounced inspections of care homes: "We keep asking the people living in the facilities how long they wait for help. The answer is usually: 'It's fine anyway'. But if you then ask more specifically: 'It's often half an hour. Imagine you have to go to the toilet and you have to wait 30 minutes. Or you're told: why don't you wet your pants? As a result, many people don't drink enough, which can lead to health problems." Simply because of their longer life expectancy, women are more often residents of care homes and therefore victims of such violence: "Women live longer, but they also suffer longer."
https://www.facebook.com/andrea.berzlanovich.3/
Loeffler-Stastka: Recognising fear, because fear is behind aggression
Henriette Loeffler-Stastka, a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapeutic medicine at MedUni Vienna, reported on communicative approaches to violence in the healthcare sector. She trains (future) doctors in recognising emotions from facial expressions in conversational situations, as the relationship aspect must always be considered in medical conversations, "50 to 80 per cent of communication is non-verbal." With the rise of digital medicine, it is becoming increasingly important to train relationship building. Loeffler-Stastka: "How do you recognise that the other person is afraid, for example? That needs to be trained. I've never been confronted with aggression where there wasn't fear behind it, and that has to be recognised." Not only in training, but also in further education. This applies to all professional groups involved in first aid, not just doctors, but also the fire service, for example.
"samara": empowering young people in workshops
Andrea Arnold and Marion Gruber from "samara - Verein zur Prävention von (sexualisierter) Gewalt" (samara - association for the prevention of (sexualised) violence) reported on workshops that they run for school classes and sometimes also for shared flats in child and youth welfare facilities. They confront the young people with "real" statements from their peers and then ask "Do you know this? How do you feel about it?" An example: "If my sister has something with a boy, I get in trouble." This is followed by very different reactions and feelings, which are then discussed and provide for dialogue in the group. "It takes courage to address tough topics - from the young people, but also from us," say Arnold and Gruber. Empowerment orientation is also important, which is why schoolgirls are confronted with sentences such as "I can protect myself on my own!".
https://praevention-samara.at/
Bissuti: "Between muscles, media and masculinity"
Romeo Bissuti, Chairman of the White Ribbon Campaign and Head of the Vienna Men's Health Centre, also talked about working with - in this case - male adolescents. "You have to work with what's there," he said, such as the cult of the body in the fitness centre. "Between muscles, media and masculinity" is a way of addressing young men. 63 per cent of men regularly consume content from masculinity influencers, but "we shouldn't think that all young people who consume this also adopt and believe it 1:1. The boys do have a selective perception, the consumption is partly ironic." Bissuti warned that you also have to keep an eye on the negative aspects of educational projects, because fewer men are toxic than is often assumed - and if you come across as too moralistic, it can also backfire. It is important that more men talk to men about violence, because men listen a lot to other men. "But very often only women talk about violence."
Leeb: Listening and watching so that we know what concerns young people
Philipp Leeb was a teacher for many years and is the founder of "poika - Verein zur Förderung gendersensibler Bubenarbeit in Erziehung und Unterricht". He also works with youth groups and reports: "Children experience, see and hear violence, which they bring with them to school. School is also a space of violence where we have to take a close look. A lot of it happens unconsciously, some of it consciously." Pupils often tell him about assaults, especially in the form of racist insults from teachers. "We have to report this. Then they have the opportunity to reflect and change something. Sometimes they are also condemned." Listening is his motto: "I actually talk very little in the workshops. You have to give the young people space." And also look at what they are looking at on social media: "Otherwise we will never know what they are looking at."
Rösslhumer: We can all make a contribution against violence!
Maria Rösslhumer, who ran the Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters (AÖF) for many years and was also one of the initiators of the "One in Five" lecture series, had the closing words: "Austria has long been an international role model in the protection against violence. There are no trespassing bans, no approach bans, women's shelters, counselling centres, etc., but why don't we manage to combat violence against women? Violence continues to rise, and now it is no longer one in five, but one in three women who are affected by violence. Why do women and their children still have to flee to women's shelters?" It's not just institutions and authorities, we can all make a contribution to preventing violence," says the chairwoman of the association "StoP - neighbourhoods without partner violence": "This is exactly where Stop comes in, as a neighbourhood project. We empower the neighbourhood so that it can do something!"
https://www.stop-partnergewalt.at/
One in three women are victims of physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. The Austrian Ombudsman Board and the Constitutional Court have addressed the issue of how to recognise and prevent violence