Municipalities set an example against violence against women
To mark the International Day against Violence against Women, municipalities in Lower Saxony made a statement on Saturday with various orange-colored actions. In Braunschweig, 113 pairs of shoes were symbolically placed on an orange foil on Schlossplatz square to commemorate the 113 women who were killed by their partners or ex-partners in Germany in 2021. In addition, LED boards and landmarks in the city were to be bathed in orange on Orange Day.
Violence against women is often trivialized, according to the city's Equal Opportunities Department on the day of action. Years ago, intimate partner violence was a "private matter" and not an official violent crime. "This has changed through many years of awareness-raising work, which is another reason why November 25 is so important as an annual global day against violence against women."
Further campaigns were also planned in Emden, Bremen, Osnabrück, Göttingen, Lüneburg, Delmenhorst and the Hanover region.
According to the German Social Association in Lower Saxony, one in three women in Germany has experienced physical or sexualized violence in her life. The figure is around twice as high for women with disabilities.
According to police crime statistics, 24,742 cases of intimate partner violence were registered in Lower Saxony in 2022, as reported by the Lower Saxony Criminal Police Office (LKA). 70 percent of the victims were women. The majority of these cases involved bodily harm, sexual offenses and stalking.
Despite the efforts to combat violence against women, crime statistics show that 70% of the reported intimate partner violence cases in Lower Saxony in 2022 were against women. Demonstrations and demonstrative actions, such as the placement of symbolic shoes, are essential to raise awareness about this issue, as seen during the commemoration events on the International Day against Violence against Women.
Source: www.dpa.com
