27 women have already been murdered by men in Austria this year. In addition, there were 41 attempted murders or cases of serious violence. Every third woman in Austria is affected by physical and/or sexual violence. The women’s spokesperson for the JG Vienna, Jasmina Malkoč, makes it clear: “These are not isolated cases, but rather an expression of structural violence. This violence does not start with physical attacks, but much earlier – with cat calling, sexist language and derogatory jokes that are perceived as ‘normal’. They form the basis of a system that increasingly leads to psychological, verbal and ultimately physical or sexual violence.”
The Young Generation Vienna criticizes the frequent perpetrator-victim reversal. Especially when it comes to sexual violence, women and girls’ clothing choices are often brought into focus and used as a justification for violence and to shift the question of guilt. Malkoč emphasizes: “But how we dress is not a yes! No article of clothing in the world justifies violence against women and girls. But for many girls and women, “yes to the dress” often turns from a dream in white into a patriarchal nightmare! Not the little black dress, but the white wedding dress is the most dangerous piece of clothing.”
The wedding dress – the most dangerous piece of clothing for girls and women
“The white wedding dress was practically tailor-made by the patriarchy to oppress girls and women,” says Malkoč. It symbolizes the oppression of women through marriage – a patriarchal construct that has forced women into economic dependency and control over the centuries, including in Austria. Until a few decades ago, women in Austria were legally and socially restricted by marriage. “Until gender equality was achieved in 1975 under the first women’s minister Johanna Dohnal, women were not allowed to work without their husband’s permission. Marital rape was not a criminal offense in Austria until 1989. And even today, marriage is still an instrument to control women. Because the majority of free care work is still done by women. If they didn’t, the state would have to organize them differently (keyword: comprehensive child care, lack of care) and that would be much more expensive. “Marriage not only relieves the burden on husbands, but also on the state,” explains Malkoč.
Unequal care work and violence
The unequal distribution of unpaid care work between the sexes also contributes significantly to violence against women: the more unequally this work is distributed, the higher the risk of domestic violence. All the more worrying are those young women who propagate the image of so-called ‘Trad Wives’ on social media. “This supposedly romantic return to traditional gender roles may seem harmless, but it carries the risk of leading girls and women back into dependence and isolation. “The economic independence of women is so important, especially in order to be able to break away from violent relationships,” warns JG Federal Women’s Spokesperson Stefanie Grötz. Young girls in particular need to be protected from this.
Forced Marriage: A Global Problem
The young generation welcomes the fact that marriage in Austria is now only permitted from the age of 18 – without exceptions. “This change in the law is an important step. What is then needed is comprehensive education, support for those affected and a decisive fight against patriarchal structures that promote such practices. Not just in Austria, but worldwide,” says Malkoč.
Every year around 15 million girls worldwide are married before their 18th birthday. Forced and child marriages are a massive human rights violation that pushes girls into poverty, dependency and violence. “This practice robs girls of their childhood, their future and their self-determination. This is unacceptable. Austria must therefore work intensively at the European level to further develop feminist approaches in foreign policy. Because we in Austria are not free as long as there is still a single woman in the world who is not free,” explains Malkoč.
In addition to comprehensive protection against violence, the young generation is calling for awareness-raising work among men and the targeted breaking down of patriarchal structures in order to sustainably combat violence against women and girls. “A safe and self-determined life for all women and girls in Austria should not be a matter of negotiation, but should be guaranteed by politicians within the framework of fundamental rights. Because women’s rights are human rights!”, concluded the women’s spokesperson for the JG Vienna, Jasmina Malkoč, and the JG Federal women’s spokesperson, Stefanie Grötz.
Photos of the media campaign: https://we.tl/t-PBrdRLL7aF
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