Shelter houses in Austria

•30 shelters for women survivors of violence & their children•1st shelter 1978 in Vienna•Independent NGOs•Gender specific approach (women helping women)•Accessible 24/7•Services free of charge

Shelter House Mistelbach

NGO „Kolping Österreich“

Founded in 1991

Safe place and support for women affected by domestic violence & their children

Conditions

Legal age (18 years) Ability to live mainly independently

(housework, child-care) No acute mental illness No drug abuse

Offers

Counselling of victims of domestic violence and their relatives & friends

Protection & crisis support Safe accomodation up to 1 year On-going psychosocial and legal counselling Attendance

Facilities & Security

6 bedrooms with bathrooms 1 kitchen, 1 living room, laundry, playing room,

garden Secret address No visitors No information to outsiders Security door Observation camera Contact police

The Staff

„Main Team“: 2 social workers, 2 psychologists – Women helping women!

Worker responsible for food supply Maintenance man Cleaning lady 4 female volunteers for night-shifts

The assistance

Children‘s psychologist Supervision of the women Support of the women‘s autonomy &

empowerment Prepare life after shelter Housing & money issues

Financing

Mainly financed by the federal states‘s government („Lower Austria“)

Application for additional funds Private donations

Networking

AMS (job centre) Child welfare centre Social assistance office Police station Court for family affairs Immigration authority Centre for child-protection („Die Möwe“) Therapy-centre for children Helpdesk for women

Public Relation & Campaigns

Homepage Leaflets (german, czech, turkish) Information-paper Lectures in schools Local newspaper Campaigns in November/December over the

period of „16 days of activism against gender violence“ and on 8th of March (international women‘s day)

Exhibition

Exhibition

Statistics 2011

How often have the victims already needed the protection

of a shelter?

more than 2 times17%

second time17%

first time66%

Statistics 2011

Marital status

married60%

divorced17%

unmarried23%

Statistics 2011

Age of the women

41-50 years13%

51-60 years3%

older than 607%

20 Jahre or younger

7%

31-40 years43%

21-30 years27%

Statistics 2011

Nationality of the women

Asia3%

Eastern Europe3%

Austria57%

Turkey7%

South-eastern Europe (Balkan-

region)10% EU-countries

10%

Africa10%

Statistics 2011

Nationality of the victim in relation to the nationality of the

violent person

w oman Austrian / aggressor Austrian

54%

w oman migrant / aggressor Austrian

23%

w oman Austrian / aggressor migrant

3%

w oman migrant / aggressor migrant

20%

Statistics 2011

Who were the violent persons?

parents (in law )10%ex partner

7%

life partner21%

husband62%

Statistics 2011

Women with/without children in the shelter

w omen w ith 2 children

20%

w omen w ith 3 children or more

10%w omen w ithout

children43%

w omen w ith 1 child27%

Statistics 2011

How long did the women stay in the shelter?

up to 1 w eek39%

up to 1 month15%

1/2 - 1 year23%

up to 3 months8%

up to 1/2 year15%

Statistics 2011

Where did the women go after their stay in the shelter?

to relatives or friends28%

in an apartment w ithout the

violent person 32%

back to the violent person

28%

in another institution

12%