Gera plans symposium on domestic and gender-specific violence

At the most recent meeting of the Gera network against domestic violence, its members discussed a "specialist day against violence". This is to take place in cooperation with the city administration on September 29 in Gera with local experts in violence prevention and support for those affected by violence. The aim of the symposium is to discuss how violence can be prevented more effectively in Gera and how those affected by violence can be helped even more professionally. This will be followed by the planned event on the Istanbul Convention, which has been binding for Germany since February 2018. According to this convention, violence against women must be prevented and combated at all levels of government and victims of domestic violence and other forms of violence must be granted protection.

"Violence affects the whole of society, and domestic violence in particular is often taboo. Our aim must be to raise public awareness of the issue and provide prevention," said Sandra Wanzar, Head of Youth and Social Affairs for the city of Gera at the network meeting. "We must succeed in offering protection to those affected and showing them that they are not alone. I would therefore like to thank the many strong partners who are involved in the network and the symposium".

Kathrin Engel, Head of the Domestic Violence Intervention Center, explains how necessary it is to work against violence: "Unfortunately, scientific studies and statistics show that one in four women in Germany is affected by physical and/or sexual violence from her partner at least once in her life. One in ten women experience this violence multiple times as so-called domestic violence. In 2020, this ended fatally for 132 women and 26 men. The Gera police reported 138 women and 30 men as victims of domestic violence. Men also experience violence, but the people most affected by domestic and gender-based violence are women". She knows many people affected by violence and knows what this violence, which is often experienced repeatedly, does to them and how difficult it is to free themselves from the psychological and physical consequences.

The "Domestic Violence" network includes around 20 public facilities, institutions and associations from Gera, such as the city administration, the women's shelter, the White Ring, the Intervention Center against Violence and the Gera State Police Inspectorate. The network works to educate and prevent domestic violence. The municipal network enables close, coordinated cooperation between all specialist agencies and professional groups in Gera. The aim is to ensure that victims of domestic violence receive protection and help quickly and with legal certainty. 

The network also includes the City of Gera's Equal Opportunities Officer, Catrin Heinrich, who had invited people to the network meeting in the town hall.