Senate adopts measures to protect women against violence

Senator Ulrike Gote (l-r), Berlin's Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD), and Senator Bettina Jarasch (Grüne) at the press conference after the Senate meeting.

To counteract extreme violence against women, the Berlin Senate has approved a comprehensive package of measures to prevent femicide.

Gender-based violence is still an everyday occurrence for many women in Berlin in 2022. The most extreme form of this violence is femicide - the murder of a woman by a man, e.g. her husband or ex-boyfriend. The Senate's goal is to prevent such acts of violence and to make Berlin a safe place for women and girls through targeted measures.

Better protection for girls and women affected by violence

The package of measures adopted at the Senate meeting on Tuesday focuses on improving the situation of women affected by violence. Existing support structures are to be expanded, protection and assistance services are to be equipped according to need and made accessible to all women affected by violence. Social Senator Katja Kipping named the creation of additional shelters for women and more tailored assistance for victims as two particularly important points. A protected app for women affected by domestic violence is also planned.

Authorities and institutions cooperate in the fight against femicide

The measuress also include planned training and education measures for various professional groups. A special focus will be placed on expanding inter-agency cooperation and the involvement of non-governmental institutions in order to better protect women who are at high risk. "Violence against women is a problem for society as a whole, and we must work together to combat it," said Senator Ulrike Gote on Tuesday after the Senate meeting.

Plans for more places in Berlin women's shelters

According to the Senate Chancellery, more places in women's shelters are needed in order to offer protection for women at all times and without delay. The eighth women's shelter in Berlin, with an additional 40 shelter places for women and their children, is scheduled to open in early 2023. Currently, a total of 422 shelter places are available in women's shelters in Berlin for acutely endangered women and their children. In addition, there are 30 shelter places in three temporary women's emergency homes and around 450 shelter places in refuge and second-stage housing.

Violence against women as a societal problem

Femicides are hate crimes and at the same time "extreme manifestations of male dominance and sexism," a press release issued by the Senate Chancellery stated on Tuesday. The Senate sees such acts of violence as a problem for society as a whole, which cannot be reduced to a specific milieu or group of people. The case of Zohra G., who was stabbed by her husband in the street in Pankow in April of this year, showed once again that more must be done to prevent femicides.