16. Femicide: Frauenring calls for a realignment of women's politics

2023-08-08 15:15:06

The shocking series of murders of women can no longer be accepted with a shrug of the shoulders

Vienna (OTS) – “We are deeply saddened by the 16th alleged femicide this year. Austria is still a country of woman murders,” says Klaudia Frieben, Chairwoman of the Austrian Women’s Association.

According to the statistics of the Association of Autonomous Austrian Women’s Shelters (AÖF), there have been 16 femicides and 32 attempted murders in Austria in 2023. The perpetrator is usually the (ex-)partner. “Male violence against women has a system, but this is tolerated, even hushed up. Austria obviously does not want to protect women, because the government’s measures are toothless. We no longer accept the force of men’s violence against women and call for a radical change with a holistic approach to equality and violence prevention, which cannot be managed for less than 250 million annually,” criticizes Maria Rösslhumer, managing director of the AÖF association and deputy Chairwoman of the Austrian Women’s Ring.

“Our demands for our own crisis management team and comprehensive investments in protection against violence have been on the table for a long time. In view of the 16th femicide, however, it is also time to remember that violence against women arises from relationships of power and dependency. Almost all of the statistics on equality put Austria in an extremely bad position – whether it concerns childcare, the gender pay gap or the high risk of poverty among women in old age. The current inflationary crisis continues to put women under pressure – and the government is doing nothing. A real women’s policy that focuses on women’s independent livelihoods is therefore more urgent than ever,” appealed Klaudia Frieben to the federal government.