Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters

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The Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters (AÖF) sees itself as an umbrella organization for autonomous women's shelters in Austria .

In the AÖF association, founded in 1988 as a non-party association of employees of autonomous women's shelters in Austria, 15 autonomous women's shelters are networked (as of 2018). The association acts as a carrier for the information center against violence , the European network WAVE (Women Against Violence Europe) , the nationwide women's helpline against male violence and was also responsible for the literature documentation violence in the family until it was closed in 2011 .

history

Women's refuge movement in Austria

In 1978 Austria's first women's refuge was founded in Vienna . In 2013, 28 women's shelters were listed in Austria. Irmtraut Karlsson describes the process of enforcement as follows: " It was relatively easy to find project groups and initiatives. But then things began to get difficult. Despite the many differences, there were common obstacles everywhere: in all federal states it was difficult to find funding opportunities. Everywhere came across the concept of the women's shelter was initially based on mistrust and rejection. [...] The implementation of women's shelters was an eminently political matter in Austria. They arose in the area of ​​tension between autonomy and party politics, the women's movement and 'party women'. "

The existing 759 places for women in shelters are considered to be too few, especially the regional supply is not guaranteed. According to a recommendation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence , one place per 10,000 inhabitants is considered necessary. Therefore Austria would need around 837 places.

Club history

The association was founded on January 15th, 1988 as an association of employees of autonomous women's shelters in Austria. In 1992, the information center against violence was set up as a service point in the association, with funding from the Karl Renner Prize , which the association received in 1989 for its work on preventing violence in the family. In 1994 the association took over the sponsorship of the international network WAVE (Women Against Violence Europe). and in 1999 for the women's helpline (against violence against women), which is supervised around the clock by professional advisors, on 0800 222 555. The Violence Protection Act , which has come into force in Austria since 1997, is an important and indispensable pillar for the AÖF association in its work against domestic violence.

In 2018 the association celebrates the 40th anniversary of women's shelters in Austria as well as its 30th anniversary. To this end, an awareness campaign is being initiated as part of the “40 Years - 40 Statements” campaign with 40 compact pieces of information on the history and significance of women's shelters and protection against violence in Austria.

Purpose of the association

For its members, the AÖF association sees itself as a point of contact for questions and information and, as an interest group, lobbying for the concerns of Austrian women's shelters. In 1991 the information center against violence was set up as a service point in the association. She is responsible for the networking and exchange of the autonomous Austrian women's shelters and represents their concerns. Raising awareness and providing information on the topic of domestic violence against women and children is also one of her core tasks.

activities

The association is a member of the Poverty Conference , the Austrian Women's Ring (ÖFR) and the platform against violence in the family . He seeks networking with numerous cooperation partners. Its tasks include the organization of regular meetings , conferences and training for the employees of the women's shelters. The press , public relations , information and campaign work serve to improve the protection of women affected by violence and their children. The AÖF has developed quality standards for work with children, which is a separate area in the women's shelters . Further main areas of activity of the association are training courses and seminars with various professional groups on the subject of violence against women, violence prevention work in the educational sector, basic work on violence against women and children as well as political work, especially in the area of gender equality policy .

Information point against violence

The information center serves the prevention of violence against women and children in the family and the effective cooperation of social institutions in this context. The target groups are women and children seeking help, people from the environment of those affected (relatives, neighbors ...), women's shelters, women's organizations, social and psychosocial institutions, medical facilities, police and courts , schools , adult education institutions , students , journalists , authorities , public administration, political leaders and international organizations . The association is also the driving force behind the implementation of various EU projects to prevent domestic violence.

When working in the information center, it is assumed that successful violence prevention and a. must start at the social level with the aim of preventing the emergence of structures that favor violence (primary prevention), further at the level of individual help in acute or potentially dangerous situations (secondary prevention) and at the level of protection against violence and the prevention of further violent activities (Tertiary prevention).

The information center's offers were developed accordingly:

  • Statistics on those affected and the autonomous women's shelters in Austria
  • Production and provision of information material
  • telephone and personal information
  • Mediation to auxiliary facilities
  • Information for various target groups such as the media, police, courts, medical staff, students, educational institutions, etc.
  • Conception and implementation of seminars for training and further education
  • Provision of specialists and speakers for events as well
  • Advice and support in setting up initiatives against violence against women

Women's helpline against violence

In December 1998, at the initiative of the then Minister for Women, Barbara Prammer, a temporary helpline was set up - initially in a call center in Salzburg - which referred those seeking help to the existing network of women's organizations and social institutions throughout Austria. On June 1, 1999, the women's helpline against male violence in the Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters in Vienna was put into operation. Since then, this has been looked after by professional staff around the clock. The number 0800/222 555 is anonymous and free of charge. Since 2005, the women's helpline has also been offering native-speaking advice at certain times in Arabic , Bosnian - Croatian - Serbian , Romanian and Turkish .

The women's helpline is an exclusively telephone crisis facility that functions as a supplement to the information center against violence and pursues the same goals with the same target groups.

Awards

Publications

  • Home Sweet Home 40 years of Austrian women's shelter work: Documentary, Austria 2018, HD, 16: 9, length: 46 min., Direction and concept: Susanne Riegler, editor: Edith Bachkönig, speaker: Andrea Eckert, music: Melissa Coleman / Monika Lang, Production: Susanne Riegler.
  • Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters (ed.): 30 years of women's shelter movement in Europe (with a foreword by Daniela Almer and Petra Ziegler), Milena Verlag, Vienna 2004, ISBN 3-85286-121-7 .
  • Maria Rösslhumer (Ed.): This is how the world tastes. Special women, special recipes. Echomedia Publishing House. Vienna 2016. ISBN 978-3-903113-00-8 .
  • Nina Kusturica (director) in cooperation with the Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters: Ausege (film). Vienna 2003. 90 minutes.
  • Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters (ed.); Jochen Graf and Katja Schröckenstein (directors): Step by step. Ways out of violence. Vienna 2012. 27 minutes. Episode 1,2,3.
  • Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters (ed.): Protection against violence brochure Right to protection and help for victims of violence. Laws to protect blind people in Austria from violence in Austria. Braille. Vienna 2009.
  • Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters; Vienna Intervention Center Against Violence; WITAF: Violence Protection Brochure Scream Against Violence. Information for deaf women on protection against violence. Vienna 2010.
  • Vienna Intervention Center against Violence in the Family; Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters: Brochure Protection against Violence Laws to protect against violence in Austria. Vienna 2017.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters, in: Web presence www.zwanzigtausendfrauen.at
  2. ↑ Isabelle Engels: series of audio images from February 18, 2012 , in: ORF's Ö1 website
  3. ^ Women's shelters in Austria , in: Website of the Federal Chancellery
  4. ↑ Overview map of women's shelters in Austria, in: AÖF website
  5. ↑ Irmtraut Karlsson : Development stories , in: Irmtraut Karlsson (editor): A broken taboo. Women's shelters in Austria , Deuticke Verlag, Vienna 1988; P. 26.
  6. ↑ Data networking in the fight against violence against women , in: Kurier, March 23, 2013
  7. ↑ Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (PDF; 1.1 MB). Explanatory report; Article 23 - Shelters; Paragraph 135; P. 69. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
  8. ^ WAVE Network . Retrieved October 11, 2013.
  9. ↑ History of the women's helpline . Retrieved October 11, 2013.
  10. ^ STANDARD Verlagsgesellschaft mbH: 40 years of women's shelters: When violence was still a "private matter" . In: derStandard.at . ( derstandard.at [accessed on February 19, 2018]).
  11. ↑ AÖF admin: Campaign "40 Years - 40 Statements". Retrieved on February 19, 2018 (German).
  12. ↑ Platform against violence in the family ,
  13. ↑ Barbara Kavemann, Ulrike Kreyssig (ed.): Handbook Children and Domestic Violence , VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2nd edition 2007, ISBN 978-3-531-15377-3 , p. 178
  14. ↑ Activity report ,
  15. ↑ RESPONSE ,
  16. ^ Youth Mind Project ,
  17. ↑ AÖF admin: Current EU projects. Retrieved on February 19, 2018 (German).
  18. ↑ AÖF offers ,
  19. ↑ AÖF admin: statistics of the AVA. Retrieved on February 19, 2018 (German).
  20. ↑ Contact points in acute situations of violence, Federal Minister for Women and the Public Service , website of the Austrian Federal Chancellery
  21. ↑ https://www.fundraisingkongress.at/fundraising-awards/gewinnerinnen-2018/#spot
  22. ^ Donation seal of approval - Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters (AÖF). Retrieved February 19, 2018 .