Every year on November 25th, the International Day of Action for the Elimination of Violence against Women, all women, trans*, inter and non-binary people who have suffered patriarchal violence are remembered. Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin also sent out a clear signal today to remember those affected and the victims of patriarchal violence.
At the raising of the Berlin anti-violence flag in front of the main building of ASH Berlin, the Women's* and Equal Opportunities Officer Nina Lawrenz read out the following statement:
"Today, on November 25, the International Day Against Patriarchal Violence, we remember all those who have experienced and survived patriarchal violence and those who have fallen victim to it. This day reminds us that violence against FLINTA people is not a marginal phenomenon. It is a structural problem. It is rooted in unequal power relations, in a system that creates dependencies, establishes hierarchies and reproduces discrimination.
Patriarchal violence manifests itself in many forms: physical, psychological, sexualized, economic. It becomes particularly clear when we talk about poverty. Poverty is no coincidence. It is closely linked to gender, origin, care responsibilities and social positioning. FLINTA people on low incomes are affected by violence at an above-average rate. And they also find it particularly difficult to escape it.
People with little money cannot simply rent another apartment. Those who are financially dependent on a violent partner often cannot afford legal assistance. Those who have to flee with children are faced with the impossible task of securing their safety, home and livelihood at the same time. The decision to leave a violent relationship is therefore not a question of courage, but also one of material means. This is why we must always understand patriarchal violence as a social issue.
We finally need sufficient, reliable and unbureaucratic funding for support services: For women's shelters, protective housing, emergency telephones, psychosocial counseling and legal support. We need investment in prevention, education and information. We need empowerment for FLINTA people, safe spaces, solidarity structures and better pay for FLINTA, especially in the social, nursing and educational professions in which women predominantly work. After all, economic independence is also a protective factor against violence.
And we also need more work with perpetrators: consistent intervention, responsibility, reflection and change. Violence does not end when only the victims are protected. It ends when perpetrators stop perpetrating it.
What we certainly do not need, however, are cuts by the Berlin Senate in projects against violence, against poverty and for equality. Every position that is cut, every advice center that is closed, every funding program that is cancelled means less protection for those affected. And we must be just as resolute in our opposition to the instrumentalization of patriarchal violence by politicians. For example, when the Federal Chancellor uses violence against women to stir up racist resentment against migrants. Violence knows no origin. But racism endangers solidarity and shifts responsibility.
Patriarchal violence is not fate. It is the result of social structures and can therefore be changed. November 25 reminds us that this change is our common task: as politicians, as institutions and as civil society.
Let us act in solidarity. For a life free from violence, free from fear, free from dependency. And so this year we are once again calling out: Ni una menos - Not one less! We stand together against patriarchal violence."
