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%