The phenomenon of violence against women and girls is a global scourge that threatens human rights, peace processes, and sustainable development in all societies around the world. Violence against women remains the most widespread human rights violation globally, especially in communities experiencing ongoing conflicts. According to UN estimates for 2023, approximately 736 million women worldwide – nearly one in three – have been victims of physical or sexual violence at least once in their lives.
Given the importance of addressing this global scourge, everyone must work together and activate strong responses. However, some countries have allocated minimal economic resources to combat this issue, with only about 5% of global government aid dedicated to fighting violence against women, and less than 0.2% invested in prevention, according to recent international reports.
Eliminating violence against women is a shared responsibility that falls on governments, civil societies, and the private sector worldwide to build a world free of violence and discrimination. Many countries are trying to combat violence against women by directly criminalizing it legally. One such country actively opposing violence against women is the Republic of Austria, which has a population of over nine million, according to the Austrian Central Statistics Office for 2023.
The Republic of Austria stands out as a leading model in its efforts to combat violence against women, with various entities demanding more effective measures to protect women and girls in Austria, which we will review in this report.
Stands and Invitations for Comprehensive Plans
In 2023, the Austrian News Agency revealed a worrying increase in violence against women in Austria, with 26 cases of murder and 41 attempted murders of women. In response to this alarming rise, many entities, organizations, and parties have expressed deep concern.
The Austrian government issued a joint statement expressing support for the United Nations campaign “The Orange World” against violence towards women. Ministers and ministries shared videos on social media to express this support, and the Federal Chancellery was illuminated in orange for 16 days as a symbol of solidarity with victims of violence. Additionally, a historic budget was allocated to programs aimed at women.
The Independent Women’s Shelters Association in Austria called for decisive and radical steps, urging the Austrian government to develop a comprehensive plan to combat violence and allocate an annual budget of 250 million euros for this purpose. According to the association, the plan includes creating violence-free neighborhoods for partners and hiring more than 3,000 full-time employees to work in violence prevention.
The “Austrian Women’s Circle” emphasized the need for a comprehensive national strategy to combat violence against women. They called for the establishment of a permanent crisis committee to address cases of violence immediately and focused on practical steps to protect women and children. These steps include increasing spending on violence prevention programs, enhancing medical and psychological services for victims, and providing better protection for abused women.
The Austrian Cities Federation called for a life free of fear for women and stressed the urgent need for more violence protection centers and the importance of awareness initiatives to combat violence against women. They also urged the European Union to join the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women and domestic violence.
A New Campaign to Combat Domestic Violence
In an important step to combat violence against women, the Austrian government announced the doubling of the budget for protecting women from domestic and cyber violence to 24 million euros for 2023. This increase is part of intensive efforts to combat this widespread phenomenon and enhance the security of women in the country.
This increase aims to improve victim care, facilitate the prosecution of perpetrators, provide clearer and more accurate information on available protection options for women, and offer counseling and psychological support to victims.
Furthermore, there is cooperation between the Austrian Ministry of the Interior, other ministries, and the Conflict Research Institute to conduct a scientific study on “femicide.” The goal is to provide the best possible assistance to victims of domestic violence. The Austrian government emphasizes that protecting women from violence is a top priority.
Calls for Increased Preventive Efforts
A recent study by the Conflict Research Institute revealed a worrying development in femicides in Austria for 2023. While 15 women were killed by men, separation from a partner has become one of the main motives for these crimes.
The study indicates that 793 women were killed or subjected to attempted murder in Austria over the past eleven years, calling for urgent measures. There were 767 suspects identified in these crimes, and the study showed that some perpetrators killed more than one woman.
These horrific crimes against women in Austria raise questions about the underlying motives. The study points out that separation from a partner is one of the main motives for these crimes, calling for increased preventive efforts to address this phenomenon and ensure better protection for women in society.
Austria Reaffirms Its Commitment to Women’s Rights Globally
In a statement on International Women’s Day in March 2024, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg emphasized that gender equality is a cornerstone of the country’s foreign policy. All initiatives and humanitarian projects implemented by the Austrian Foreign Ministry aim to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls.
He asserted that equality in rights and opportunities between women and men worldwide is essential for achieving peace and sustainable development. He noted that the multiple crises of our time show that women and girls are more affected by political upheavals and armed conflicts, necessitating equal participation in solving these global challenges.
Violence against women is not limited to physical and sexual violence. Women of all ages, social levels, and different cultures also experience psychological violence, controlling and humiliating behavior, which leaves deep psychological scars on victims and poses a serious health threat.
Despite efforts to prevent violence and protect victims, many women still struggle to access specialized help, especially in Austria. Therefore, the Austrian Women’s Advisory Network, in cooperation with the Austrian Integration Fund, offers free advisory services in 17 languages regarding violence against women.
These services include psychological and social counseling, legal support, rehabilitation programs, and other services aimed at facilitating support for women of various nationalities. They also train interpreters to provide consultations related to violence against women and distribute them across Austria’s nine states in the form of units.
In addition to advisory services, the Austrian Integration Fund offers the “KOMPASS” program to support qualified immigrant women in entering the labor market through training with several economic partners for six months.
A booklet titled “Stop! Against Violence Against Women and Girls” in seven languages provides information on various forms of violence and contact points.
These diverse efforts are part of a comprehensive strategy to combat violence against women in Austria, enhance women’s rights, and enable them to live dignified lives free of violence.
Women’s Rights in Austria
Gender equality remains a hot topic of discussion worldwide, and many countries strive to achieve it, giving women their full rights in various aspects of life. The Republic of Austria is a model in gender equality due to its governmental commitment and diverse initiatives that contribute effectively to building a fairer and more just society for all.
A 2019 American study assessing women’s rights globally ranked Austria 13th among European Union countries in gender equality. The Austrian government makes significant efforts to promote gender equality by ensuring women have equal opportunities in education, employment, promotion, and participation in politics and decision-making.
Austria also works hard to combat harmful practices that threaten women’s rights and safety, such as female genital mutilation, trafficking in women, and child marriage. Austria has been committed since 1992 to raising the legal marriage age for women to 18, aiming to eliminate child marriage by 2030.
Continuous Progress
Austria is a leading country in women’s rights. Since 2020, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of women in the Austrian Cabinet, reaching the highest level of representation compared to men. The new coalition government in Austria includes 17 women, demonstrating their ability to lead and bring about positive developments in all areas of life.
Austria has made significant progress regarding women’s rights in the workplace, with the female labor force participation rate rising to 56% since 2019. However, a significant gender pay gap remains, prompting the Austrian government to strive to address this gap and achieve equal pay for men and women.
Austrian women hold a prominent position in the economic field, holding 46.4% of positions in the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber at the beginning of 2017. Women manage approximately 176,930 companies in Austria, a significant number demonstrating their ability to lead and successfully run businesses. There are also 114,184 businesswomen in Austria.
Austria shows its determination to continue its efforts to achieve gender equality and create a fairer and more just society for all. It is one of the leading countries in combating violence against women and continues to make significant efforts at various levels to address this globally concerning phenomenon.