University Life International Day against Violence against Women and Girls

To mark the "International Day against Violence against Women and Girls", which is celebrated every year on November 25, ASH Berlin and the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district office hoisted the Berlin anti-violence flag in front of their buildings on Alice-Salomon-Platz this morning. They were joined by members of the Intersectional Practice and Transformation (InPuT) working group at ASH Berlin, the Women's and Equal Opportunities Officer for the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district, Maja Loeffler, and the district mayor, Nadja Zivkovic. After the flag-raising ceremony, a rally took place at which Nina Lawrenz and Simone Wibbeke, the Women's* and Gender Equality Officers of ASH Berlin, read out the following statement:

"Tomorrow, Saturday, November 25, is the "International Day against Violence against Women and Girls". Latin American and Caribbean women's rights activists first proclaimed November 25 as a day of remembrance for victims of gender-based violence in 1981. Under the motto "Ni una menos - Not one less", feminist activists around the world have been fighting against the murder of women ever since.

Nevertheless, gender-based violence is still omnipresent and firmly anchored in our patriarchal structures. Patriarchal violence begins with derogatory remarks and culminates in murder. In Germany, one in three women has experienced sexualized, physical or psychological violence in her lifetime. That is more than 12 million women. More than half of all women avoid certain places in the dark and feel unsafe. Every 4 minutes, a woman in Germany experiences violence from her partner or ex-partner. And every third day, a man kills his partner or ex-partner.

Patriarchal power relations as a cause of violence against women can be found at all levels of our social coexistence. However, they do not affect all people equally: people who experience discrimination, marginalization and exclusion due to racism, social background or disabilities and chronic illness are particularly at risk of patriarchal violence, as are queer, trans, inter and non-binary people as well as sex workers.

It is a task for society as a whole, and therefore for all of us, to take a clear stance against patriarchal violence and to protect and strengthen each other.

This task is currently becoming even more challenging due to the rise of right-wing populist and far-right parties and forces. Right-wing extremism also manifests itself in sexism and anti-feminism. The equality and emancipation of women, queer, trans, inter and non-binary people is seen by the right as a threat to their own masculinity and the heteronormative social order.

Despite all achievements, anti-feminism and sexism are a social reality and a real and growing threat. Therefore, the fight against violence against women and the equality of all genders remains a central task for society as a whole.

We also want to remind you here and now that violence against women takes place worldwide. In armed conflicts and wars, women as well as queer, trans, inter and non-binary people and children are exposed to gender-specific violence. Despite international efforts and legal frameworks that condemn and prosecute rape and sexual violence in war, the use of sexualized violence and rape in armed conflict remains pervasive. Be it in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine or during the terrorist attack on Israel by the radical Islamic group Hamas. And even beyond the targeted use of sexualized violence, wars are fought above all on the bodies of women and children, as in Gaza these days.

Again and again we are shocked. But shock is not the answer. We must protest and act. Whether in November or in March, whether in Marzahn-Hellersdorf or in Latin America, whether in private homes or on the streets of big cities: Ni una menos - Not one less! We stand together against patriarchal violence, sexism and anti-feminism."

The Berlin anti-violence flag, as a visible sign against patriarchal violence, sexism and anti-feminism, will hang in front of the main building of ASH Berlin until November 27.