An organisation dedicated to preventing and combating domestic violence is set to open 17 new locations across Austria over the next two years.
The Anti-Violence Project StoP – Districts Without Partner Violence, which began in Germany in 2006, launched its first Austrian site in 2019. Currently, there are 32 locations in Austria, including 11 in Vienna. The latest additions are in the capital’s 7th and 9th districts.
Plans are underway for further expansions in Burgenland, Graz and the province of Salzburg, according to a press conference held in Vienna on Wednesday.
“Most experiences of violence are inflicted on women within their own homes. Violence against women almost always comes from men,” said Social Minister Johannes Rauch. “However, witnesses to violence, whether seeing or hearing it, still often remain silent due to fear or uncertainty.”
The Social Ministry has pledged funding, making approximately €3.25 million available over the next two years.
The aim is for entire neighbourhoods to actively tackle domestic violence. In the project year from June 2023 to May 2024, more than 270 local residents and over 600 project partners engaged with StoP. Around 1,500 individuals received training in workshops on violence prevention, and more than 460 men addressed the issue of violence against women.
