Semmler: "There were 360 women killed. The Federal Criminal Police Office presented these and other alarming figures in its current situation report on November 19, 2024. The figures are rising dramatically every year."

Depending on the area, women affected by violence face considerable difficulties and obstacles in finding a place in a women's shelter or a specialist advice center. According to Semmler, there is currently a shortage of 5 women's shelters in Salzgitter, with a total of around 14,000 in Germany, and neither the counseling center against domestic violence (BISS) nor the perpetrator counseling center in Salzgitter have sufficient equipment to work in the scope and quality that would be necessary.

This is where the network against domestic violence in Salzgitter comes into its own. "Thankfully, Salzgitter is further ahead than many municipalities in Germany in some respects: we have a women's shelter and the advice centers are also supported by municipal funds," says Semmler, summarizing the situation. This network literally "flew the flag" in front of Salzgitter-Lebenstedt town hall on 25.11.2024. The UN flag against violence against women will also be displayed at several schools and other institutions.

Janine Großert, the newly appointed head of the new coordination office for the implementation of the Convention on Human Rights against Violence against Women (Istanbul Convention) in Salzgitter, adds: "In Salzgitter, we have thought through the issue of gender-specific violence conceptually in all facets of the Istanbul Convention, planned it conceptually and adopted it by the council. Now we are moving step by step towards further implementation."

Semmler: "However, gender-specific violence is not just the private fate of individual women. Violence against women is an acute problem for society as a whole. For every woman affected, there is also an affected family, often including children, who have to experience the violence as witnesses. Girls who suffer violence and boys who commit violence and learn and experience it as normal behavior often suffer additional damage to their souls. There is still an urgent need for action here."

"It must be ensured that women and their children are better protected from violence and receive needs-based support. When the coalition agreement was signed, the federal government promised to create a uniform legal framework across Germany. With the Violence Assistance Act, which is currently planned but has still not been passed, the federal government would finally fulfill its obligations under the Istanbul Convention, which Germany signed up to in 2018. The delay of this law costs women's lives every day and 54 billion euros a year in consequential costs of this violence. It is to be hoped that this law will be passed before the new elections," Semmler concludes.