After thousands of people took to the streets over the weekend to protest violence against women, the Left party is demanding a comprehensive strategy to protect women. “The current protests show that women are long overdue for a real political break” said the party’s women’s policy spokesperson, Kathrin Gebel, to the “Rheinische Post” (Monday edition). “What we need now are not isolated measures, but a clear, united push”.
Gebel added that those who take the protests seriously must not at the same time weaken civil society. Instead, programmes such as “Democracy Alive” and the projects it supports-like Hateaid and women’s shelters-should be strengthened. “The federal government offers no solutions. On the contrary, it tries to undermine civil society, which has a finger in the wound” she said.
Green Party chair Franziska Brantner also called for further action. “Ultimately it’s crucial that rules do more than just exist on paper-they must be enforced” Brantner told the newspaper. “This concerns investigative authorities-police and prosecutors. They must be equipped to conduct thorough investigations”. She added that the financing of the Violence Assistance Act, which guarantees the right to counseling and protection for women, must also be secured by the federal government.