"Behind doors" - for the day of remembrance "No to violence against women"
Event on 25 November, from 3 p.m. at Weltecho Chemnitz
To mark the international day of remembrance "No to violence against women", Frauenhilfe Chemnitz e.V. and the City of Chemnitz's Equal Opportunities Officer, Pia Hamann, are inviting you to actions and films at Weltecho Chemnitz on Monday, 25 November from 3 pm. The event is open to the public and admission is free. Representatives of the press are cordially invited.
Every year, almost 140,000 cases of violence in couple relationships are registered in Germany across all educational and social classes, in all age groups and regardless of cultural background. The number of unreported cases is far higher, as the victims often conceal these incidents out of shame. The day of remembrance is intended to help raise public awareness of this problem.
From 3 p.m., there will be a creative programme and "laughter yoga" for women who have experienced violence. Interested women who are not affected by violence are also welcome to take part in the programmes and talk to other women and the women's aid workers.
At 5 p.m., Police Commissioner Sonja Penzel will give a talk in which she will discuss what happens "behind doors" in Chemnitz and the surrounding area, what figures are known about domestic violence and what support is available for those affected. Afterwards there will be time for questions and discussion.
6 pm: Film screening of "Behind Doors". In this documentary film by Medienprojekt Wuppertal, two women and one man describe their experiences as victims of domestic violence in the form of verbal, emotional, financial and physical violence.
Information about the film "Behind Doors":
Lisa moved in with her then boyfriend very quickly due to her pregnancy at 19. She experienced isolation and physical violence at his hands. For a long time she felt guilty for the violence that was inflicted on her and even after the break-up she still felt the power that the perpetrator had over her. Lisa still has regular contact with him through their child, which she still finds difficult. Her new boyfriend gives her the support and self-confidence she needs to deal with her past.
Diana only realised that she had been the victim of domestic violence after a stay in hospital. Since the incidents, she has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. "The loss is really, really bad, because I loved my husband. However, the violence was not a one-off incident and so I had to leave." The criminal proceedings against her husband were dropped due to a lack of evidence.
Tami suffered seven years of psychological, verbal and physical violence in his relationship with his then girlfriend. The fear that she would portray him as the perpetrator made him postpone the separation for a long time. The helplessness and lack of opportunities to turn to someone as a man also paralysed him. After he had overcome his separation and lived at the rest stop for a while, he came to terms with his experience by going public with his story. Today, he actively campaigns for the protection of men and founded the first men's shelters in Germany.