Opening of the “Red Benches”

In Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, 10 benches, mostly in public spaces, have been transformed into so-called Red Benches in recent weeks. These Red Benches set an example against violence against women.

The aim of the campaign, which originated in Italy, is to raise awareness of gender-specific violence, set an example against it and commemorate the victims. In Germany, too, violence is part of everyday life for many women. The number of victims of domestic violence in particular - which includes assault, coercion, stalking and threats - is growing continuously. This is confirmed by the recently published situation report from the Federal Criminal Police Office. According to the report, the number of femicides increased further last year - 360 women and girls were murdered.

As the number of unreported cases in this area of violence is still very high, the campaign is not only intended to draw attention to the issue of violence against women. Another important goal is to empower and encourage those affected to break their silence, seek help and report crimes. To this end, an information flyer with low-threshold support services was created and translated into several languages. The flyer is also available at the Haus der Nachbarschafft.

This project was initiated by colleagues from the district girls' working group and members of the Wilmersdorf Neighborhood Network.

Help hotline „Violence against women”: Free and anonymous advice for women affected by violence, people from their social environment and professionals around the clock in various languages on 116 016.