Violence against women
Every form of unwanted sexual behavior is considered sexual violence: In the process, the personal rights of women and girls as well as their will are being violated. It is common that people refer to this as sexual violence, but it is important to emphasize:
- It is not about any form of sexuality, but about power,
- It is about violence for which sexuality is used.
Every woman can be subject to sexual violence:
- no matter how old she is, what kind of job she has, how she looks and dresses, …
- German women or migrants, women with or without disabilities, lesbians, …
Rape is the worst kind of sexual violence, but there are a lot of other kinds that women have to experience in their daily life, for example:
- somebody says things that make you uncomfortable and embarrassed (for example at work or on the train),
- insults such as “slut” and other words,
- somebody touches you even though you don’t like that,
- glances or comments about the body that feel disgusting to you,
- a doctor or therapist touches you or wants sexual contact,
- stalking (somebody harasses, threatens, follows you).
All these experiences are horrible and a burden for the affected women! If you have experienced sexual violence or are still experiencing it, we encourage you to seek help! You don’t have to be ashamed. You don’t have to blame yourself. It is/was not your fault!
You are entitled to get support and help. Turn to somebody you trust. Or turn to us – we are here for you!
