Refuge & prevention

When every second counts: Help for victims of violence

(Bild: Evelyn Hronek)

Every act of violence is one too many: across the country, a whole network of institutions supports the fight against domestic violence - including the Chamber of Commerce.

Every woman has the right to a life free of violence. The past few days have shown that this is still not a matter of course. Five women killed in one day is the sad culmination of a tragic year 2024 that is still young. Support and help are essential in the fight against domestic violence, which all too often ends in a dramatic act of bloodshed. And not just in acute cases. Prevention work plays an important role in this.

Offering refuge to those affected
"For women murdered by men, all help comes too late. This makes the well-developed network of facilities and initiatives in Lower Austria that offer help in emergency situations all the more important. Girls' advice centers, women's shelters and the violence protection center offer anonymous, uncomplicated and rapid support, sometimes around the clock. We cannot prevent every act of violence, but we must do everything we can to offer victims protection," said Christiane Teschl-Hofmeister, ÖVP Provincial Councillor.

Rita Olah (2nd from right) with her team and three residents(Bild: emmaus)

In order to enable those affected to escape the spiral of violence, support has been stepped up for years, for example in the area of business. For the past year and a half, the state has been working with the Chamber of Commerce to provide low-threshold information for victims of domestic violence.

"Together, we are once again providing information posters for our businesses, which can be ordered easily and free of charge via an online form," explains Chamber President Wolfgang Ecker. A proven tool in the fight against violence.

Women's shelter has been offering protection for 20 years
For the 113th time, attention is being drawn to equal rights and women's rights on today's International Women's Day. For 20 years, the women's shelter run by the Emmaus Community in St. Pölten has been offering refuge in the form of shelters and a wide range of support services for homeless women.

"In recent years, women have also been increasingly affected by homelessness. Most of them come from difficult and very violent relationships of dependency," says Rita Olah, head of the women's shelter.