Press release: Digital support for women affected by violence improved during the pandemic

Berlin, April 07, 2022. The Women's Shelter Coordination Association (Frauenhauskoordinierung e.V.) supported more than 500 organizations within the support system for women and girls affected by violence in expanding their digital services through the project "Support System 2.0: Sustainable Technical Empowerment of Specialist Counseling Centers and Women's Shelters during the Corona Pandemic." Launched at short notice in response to the pandemic, the project received €3,5 million in funding from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth as part of the federal funding program "Together Against Violence Against Women." The federal government thus responded to the exceptional circumstances of the Corona pandemic and ensured that the accessibility of existing support services for women and their children affected by violence was maintained and improved. The application period ended on March 31, 2022.

"In the context of lockdowns and the pandemic, it was more important than ever that protection and counseling facilities for women experiencing violence remain operational and easily accessible – this means, above all, online and by phone," says project manager Dr. Charlotte Binder. "However, due to the underfunding that has characterized the support system for decades, at the beginning of the pandemic, a large number of women's shelters and counseling centers were not even adequately equipped with basic technical resources such as computers, work cell phones, or even stable internet access."

A large portion of the implemented projects, with a volume of approximately €2,3 million and 598 approved applications, went toward improving technical equipment, such as the purchase of laptops, high-performance telephone systems and internet access, smartphones, and software licenses. This enabled staff to work remotely and provide counseling by phone or computer, and enabled residents of women's shelters to participate in important integration and language courses, among other things.

In a second project strand, employee training (e.g., for online consulting), professional digital language mediation, and the design of accessible websites and information materials were also eligible for funding. These accounted for 199 projects with a total volume of approximately €600.000, thus representing the smaller share of applications.

 "This project is a good example of how quickly and effectively improvements can be made, even in the short term – if only the political will and the necessary funds are available. However, the high demand for equipment, which should be a given by today's standards, also clearly demonstrates how severely the assistance system has been financially neglected for a very long time," explains Katrin Frank, Chair of the Board of Directors of FHK. "To ensure that the process doesn't end here and that further gaps are closed, it would be time to consider and ensure the technical equipment of the assistance system in the long term." 

Further information on the project “Support System 2.0”, which will be completed in December 2022, can be found at https://www.frauenhauskoordinierung.de/arbeitsfelder/hilfesystem-20.