In Salzgitter, members of the Salzgitter Round Table against Domestic Violence and the City of Salzgitter's Equal Opportunities Officer, Simone Semmler, hoisted an orange flag in front of the town hall.

But much more important than the flag, according to Salzgitter's Equal Opportunities Officer Simone Semmler, is the important prevention, education and support work in the city's networks. According to Semmler, it may be a seemingly never-ending task, but the goal of preventing violence against women and girls and helping those affected is all the more important.

She went on to emphasize about the raising of the flag: "We raised the orange flag together at the town hall in Lebenstedt to show that people are committed to the well-being of women and girls and do not look away. We also want to show that this commitment has triggered far-reaching positive changes in our city and throughout Germany. More and more women are finding the courage to accept help, relationships are increasingly respectful and at eye level - also recognized as a social norm - and most importantly, people are looking away less and less when citizens notice a case of violence against women in their neighbourhood. This is emergency aid, not denunciation! All these developments are not a matter of course, but successes, some of them hard-won, and they must continue and require a lot of time and patience. "

The members of the Round Table have noticed that more and more women are reporting the violence and fighting back. This could be one reason why the numbers remain constant, even if the number of actual cases may even be decreasing. People are talking about it instead of looking away in embarrassment. There is a social consensus that it is not the victim's fault if she is the victim of an act of violence. It is gradually becoming a social consensus that violence against women and girls is wrong and not a private matter. There is a greater awareness of what is experienced as violence - for example, intimidating harassment disguised as a "compliment".

In conclusion, Semmler said: "Even if it seems like only small steps for each person affected, they are huge. Every small step moves society forward. That is why it is important to highlight the successes achieved alongside the annual statistics. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is a good day to be proud of what has been achieved and to encourage people to get involved."