County, municipalities & bus operators launch poster campaign

The Women's Office and the Round Table against Violence of the district want to set a joint and visible sign against violence together with many municipalities and the commissioned bus companies in Waldeck-Frankenberg. Therefore, all partners are launching a joint poster campaign on the International Day against Violence against Women on 25 November: The aim is to encourage those affected to break their silence and get help.

Seek help instead of silence
Unfortunately, there are many people - also in Waldeck-Frankenberg - who are acutely affected by violence at home or in their direct environment. Especially during the Corona pandemic, this situation has become even worse due to exit and contact restrictions. Those affected should not accept this silently, but seek help. This is the clear and common message of all partners in the poster campaign launched on the International Day against Violence. Posters are now hanging in numerous buses in Waldeck-Frankenberg, clearly drawing attention to the issue - and offering help to those affected.

Looking and offering help
"Unfortunately, the topic of domestic violence never loses its topicality," says the district's Equal Opportunities Officer Beate Friedrich. "We must not close our eyes to it." Evelin Jacobs from the city of Frankenberg agrees: "It is nice that this campaign literally brings a lot of movement to this important topic. Just like in road traffic, the motto here is: Eyes open! If we all look properly, we can offer support and help where it is needed."

Out of the taboo zone
The fact that every third woman in Germany is threatened by domestic violence also makes Annette Lambertz from the city of Bad Wildungen angry and stunned: "We are all called upon to take a closer look in our personal environment. It is good that there is a functioning support network in Bad Wildungen and in the entire district, also thanks to the support of the Women's Office. "But we must not let up, we have to keep raising awareness of the issue in society through actions. The victims need our support and advocacy."

Where violence is right, right has no violence
Andreas Mertens from the city of Bad Arolsen agrees: "We support the project because with this poster campaign we can ideally comply with the motto and at the same time with the mission of the municipal prevention council - namely to work together against violence and addiction." Carsten Vahland from the city of Korbach also emphasises this: "The topic of domestic violence has also been a focus of the prevention work of the Hanseatic city for years. We are therefore happy to support the poster campaign on our city buses." Simone Feussner from the Waldeck-Frankenberg police department also makes it clear: "Where violence is right, the law has no violence."

Violence has many faces
Violence can have different facets: "It is not only physical attacks that are part of domestic violence," says Monika Lacher from the Round Table against Violence. It already starts, for example, where women are constantly criticised by their partner, so that they feel they cannot do anything right, where the partner tries to prevent contact with friends or family, or where he constantly follows and controls the woman or prevents her from getting an education or working. "This makes it clear why violence so often remains invisible to outsiders for so long. Shame, fear and helplessness often keep victims from seeking help."

The poster campaign aims to change this - and to bring the issue into the focus of society as a whole. The message for those affected is clear: "You are not alone, you don't have to be ashamed and you don't have to put up with violence any longer"! Further information is also available online at www.stärker-als-gewalt.de or www.hilfetelefon.de or by calling 0800-116 016.