“Violence against women is a structural problem”

In Switzerland, one person dies every two weeks due to domestic violence. According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, more than 70 percent of the cases were killed by women. So far this year, twelve women have been killed by their partners or a male family member.

Telephone Against Violence (TGG) activists have a clear stance on this issue. “We criticize the patriarchal system and we think it’s a structural issue, not a question of individual destinies,” says Lea. “It makes me hate the fact that many women who are victims of violence are not believed.”

Lea sits next to Nina, Tatjana and Lucia in the inner courtyard of the Fraum women’s center in Zurich. You, along with eight other activists, set up a helpline in June last year as cases of domestic violence rose during the pandemic. “Our offer is primarily aimed at the people of Flinta who have been subjected to physical, psychological, sexual, verbal, governmental or racial violence,” says Lea. The acronym Flinta stands for women, lesbians, intersex people, non-binary people, trans people, and sexist people.

“We network and support those affected”

To protect women, they do not want to discuss cases in detail. “Those affected call us in a wide variety of situations,” says Lea. “Some have experienced sexualized violence when they go out, and others need someone to talk to in the middle of the night when their caregivers aren’t available.” Women often need information about counseling centers. “We have a networking impact and support those affected in finding the right job,” Tatjana says.

People always decided for themselves how they wanted to progress. “We listen to them and inform them about possible steps. However, we don’t do anything unless those affected expressly ask for it,” says Nina.

The helpline is available continuously from Friday evening to Monday morning. Also, activists work or study, so they can’t answer the phone during the week. Some bring experience in psychology, law or interpreting, others come from social work. Because it’s available on weekends, activists cover a time when official counseling centers are usually not available.

Too little expertise?

TGG exchanges information with official institutions. Doris Binda, 54, from the women’s emergency telephone management team in Winterthur ZH, is basically in favor of the activists’ hotline. “We welcome this commitment as there is currently no national proposal,” she tells Blick. But he also has concerns: “Successful crisis response requires specialist expertise. You have to know how to put a woman at ease and assess her situation over the phone, even if it’s not in an emergency.”

Pia Allemann (55), co-director of the counseling center for women (BIF), thinks similarly. “Assessing a dangerous situation is difficult, especially on the phone, and especially for people who don’t deal with it every day,” she says. In addition, the protection of women is primarily the duty of the state, which should not be undertaken by the laity.

Activists stress that they are not a counseling centre, but a low-threshold addition to existing proposals. “We see ourselves as the first easily accessible point of contact,” Nina says. “Sometimes it’s looking for people who aren’t ready to go to a formal institution yet.” The helpline is not the first number you call in an emergency. “A big part of our job is to listen to the person and offer support,” says Lea.

Spanish to Kurdish

Your commitment is also important because people with an uncertain resident status are sometimes completely cut off from government or legal channels. “Certain experiences of violence are not seen as equal – this is an extreme complaint,” says Lucia. TGG is a good option for these people. Allemann points to this advantage as well: “Some women may trust an activist helpline like this more than a reputable advice centre. Especially immigrants who fear they could be deported if reported.”

Another plus point is that the activists can speak many languages, thus reaching a large community. The helpline is currently available in twelve languages: German, English, French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, Romanian, Persian and BKS (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian). Most of the group has mastered many of them. Where there are gaps, activists work with interpreters. “Our goal is to offer as many languages ​​as possible,” says Lea. It is important for those affected to be able to talk about their experiences of violence in a language they are comfortable with.