Awareness campaign in Darmstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg and on the Bergstrasse – housing company also wants to provide apartments for affected women
Women's shelters and specialist counseling centers in Darmstadt, the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, and along the Bergstrasse have launched an awareness campaign against domestic violence in cooperation with the housing company Vonovia. Posters in stairwells and postcards for households aim to inform victims about available support services and raise awareness among neighbors. Furthermore, Vonovia intends to provide apartments for women who need new accommodation after leaving a women's shelter.
The campaign is a response to the persistently high number of violent crimes against women. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, a woman in Germany becomes a victim of domestic violence approximately every three minutes. Children are also frequently affected.
More than 1,750 posters and postcards against domestic violence
To kick off the campaign, Sophie-Lucia Gassner from the Bergstraße women's counselling center, Ursula Pavez Sandoval from Women Helping Women Dieburg, Iris Behr from the Darmstadt women's shelter and specialist counselling center, and Robert Wagner, regional manager of Vonovia Darmstadt, presented the joint poster.
Vonovia plans to display the posters in the stairwells of its residential buildings. Households will also receive postcards. A total of more than 1,750 posters and postcards are planned. These will contain contact persons, telephone numbers, and email addresses of support services.
“It is very important to us to provide those affected with a point of contact they can turn to. At the same time, we would also like to say to everyone in the neighborhood: Don't turn a deaf ear, please help!” explains Robert Wagner.
Apartments are intended to relieve the burden on women's shelters
In addition to the awareness campaign, the collaboration is also intended to provide concrete support. Vonovia plans to make apartments available for women who are looking for their own accommodation after a stay in a shelter.
According to the participating organizations, women's and children's shelters are permanently full. There is a nationwide shortage of shelter spaces. At the same time, the tight housing market makes it difficult for many women to leave a shelter. Providing housing is intended to free up spaces in women's shelters more quickly.
Advice centers appeal to the neighborhood
The participating institutions hope that the campaign will reach more people and reduce barriers to seeking support.
“It is very important that neighbors do not look away and dare to speak to affected women and point out available help services,” emphasizes Ursula Pavez Sandoval from Women Helping Women Dieburg.
Sophie-Lucia Gassner from the Bergstraße women's counseling center also welcomes the expansion of the initiative to the Bergstraße district. Carina Beck from the Darmstadt women's shelter emphasizes that the collaboration will allow more people to be informed about existing counseling and support services.
Vonovia has already conducted similar campaigns in Frankfurt, Offenbach, Wiesbaden, and Oberursel. Expansion to other cities in the Rhine-Main region is planned. The housing company owns approximately 1,600 apartments in Darmstadt alone.
Further information
The campaign posters and postcards contain contact details of the participating counselling and support services.
Nationwide helpline “Violence against women”: 116 016 – free of charge, confidential and available around the clock.
Website: www.hilfetelefon.de
(BOCHUM – RED/PM/Olaf Fei)
Featured image: Ursula Pavez Sandoval, Iris Behr, Sophie-Lucia Gassner and Robert Wagner (from left) putting up the posters.
