Valentine's Day: addressing violence against women
Every third woman in Germany is a victim of physical and/or sexualised violence
On Valentine's Day - the day of love and lovers - equal opportunities officers, employees of women's shelters and advice centres are working together with the nationwide helpline to raise awareness of violence against women.
For many people, this day is not a day to celebrate: in Germany, one in three women are victims of physical and/or sexualised violence at least once in their lives, and around one in four women experience violence in a relationship. Women with disabilities are affected two to three times more often than the population average.
Nevertheless, violence against women is still trivialised, ignored and often dismissed as a "private matter". Those affected often do not talk about what they have experienced out of shame and fear.
The "Violence against women" helpline provides advice on all forms of violence on 08000 116016 and online at www.hilfetelefon.de - around the clock and free of charge. Counselling is anonymous, confidential, barrier-free and available in 17 foreign languages. On request, the counsellors can refer you to a local support centre. Acquaintances, relatives and neighbours can also contact the helpline.
In Chemnitz, victims of domestic violence can also contact the Frauenhilfe Chemnitz e.V. association directly on the emergency number 0172 3718116 (women's shelter) or 0371 9185354 (advice centre).