February 1 marks the seventh anniversary of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing violence against women and combating domestic violence becoming legally binding for Germany. This European law on the protection against violence, the so-called Istanbul Convention, obliges all signatory states to give priority to the prevention of violence.
"The central demand of the Istanbul Convention to protect women from all forms of violence must be absolutely decisive for our society. That is why the search for a second women's shelter in the district is a top priority. With the Frauen für Frauen association, we are on the right track here," emphasizes District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier.
Lord Mayor Dr. Matthias Knecht also emphasizes: "Violence against women and girls is unacceptable. The number of cases of violence is rising, while funding for the support system continues to be cut. The city and district are fighting for a second women's shelter and have been ignored by the federal government for years. We in Ludwigsburg no longer accept this inactively, but are working on the cause by creating visibility, education and awareness. Unlike others, we are implementing the core mandate of the Istanbul Convention."
"For seven years now, the German government has been naming measures that only take effect after a person has experienced violence. The mandate to prevent violence is not taken into account and leads to a continuous increase in human rights violations, including in Ludwigsburg," explains Kristina Wolff. Cynthia Schönau also refers to the district-wide annual campaign 2024 "Orange Bank against Violence against Women"(www.landkreis-ludwigsburg.de/orangebank). The campaigns and results are currently being summarized and documented.
The "unconditional and effective implementation" of the Istanbul Convention is enshrined in the coalition agreement. Nevertheless, at a press conference on November 19, 2024, the German government published shocking figures on gender-based violence against girls and women(www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/aktuelles/lagebild-gewalt-gegen-frauen-2321162). The Federal Criminal Police Office's "Situation Report on Crimes against Women and Girls" shows a total of 938 attempted and completed homicides in 2023, with girls and women losing their lives 361 times. Without exception, there was a significant increase in gender-specific violence against girls and women in all areas of crime. There is an acute need for action.
