The numbers are not new, but they are always frightening. One in four women in Germany experiences violence from a current or former partner. Statistically speaking, a woman is killed by her (ex) partner every third day in Germany. The action alliance of more than 50 organizations and groups, which is organizing action weeks in Munich from November 1st, points to these figures; they address violence against women, girls, boys and non-binary people.
The figures from the Munich police headquarters are also worrying: a good 3,000 cases of domestic violence and almost 1,900 offenses against sexual self-determination were recorded last year. Under the heading “Domestic Violence,” the police recorded three homicides, two of which were completed, as they say in police jargon. The women were killed.
The four weeks of action starting on Wednesday include 57 events: films and performances, training courses and lectures, information stands or workshops on various forms of violence, prevention approaches, resistance and self-defense. The central event for the International Day against Violence against Women will take place on Thursday, November 23rd, at 6 p.m. in the town hall, the theme: “Solidarity against patriarchal violent relationships”. A demonstration through the city is planned for Saturday, November 25th, organized by the “Munich Alliance March 8th”.
Lectures during the action weeks deal, for example, with forced marriage and the concept of honor in families with a migration history, with sexual violence and digital media, or with what children need who have experienced domestic violence. A judge at the district court offers a tour of the criminal justice center, introduces the video interrogation room and explains the judicial procedure when interrogating children and young people.
“Patriarchal violence is an expression of historically developed power relations between the genders,” says the program booklet. This violence serves to “devalue femininity, the oppression of women and girls and the exclusion of trans*, intersex and non-binary people. “The best protection against patriarchal violence is the reduction of injustice and discrimination and the actual equality of all genders all levels: legal, social, economic, political.”
The action week program is available free of charge from the city information center in the town hall and from the individual organizers. The information can be found on the Internet at www.muenchen.de/frauengleichstellung or www.aktiv-gegen-maennerviolent.de.