Being together at home during the corona pandemic also has its downsides: women in particular, whose men are prone to violence, are currently in great danger. A conversation with Nicoline Pfeiffer from the women's shelter in the district.
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen - The exit restrictions in Bavaria pose great challenges for many couples and families. You suddenly sit on each other day and night. This is a particular danger for women whose men are prone to violence. Our volunteer Franziska Konrad spoke about this with Nicoline Pfeiffer, a women's shelter.
Ms. Pfeiffer, how does the exit restriction affect women who live with violent men?
The longer the restrictions last, the greater the danger for these women. Even before the corona pandemic, the situation in these households was fraught with conflict. Now everyone is at home all day, the women can no longer avoid their husbands. This exacerbates the situation extremely. Therefore, I fear that domestic violence will increase sharply in the coming weeks. If the situation should worsen for women, I recommend that you get advice by phone.
Nicoline Pfeiffer, employee in the women's shelter in the district
Do you feel a larger crowd in the women's shelter?
When we had vacancies recently, we received quite a few requests. Since the women's shelter has been fully occupied, demand has decreased again. However, I assume that the big rush caused by the corona pandemic is still to come.
Why?
In the first phase of a crisis, you often believe that you can get through this time with your partner. In addition, we should currently avoid contact with strangers, which is the case in the women's shelter. For many, this is a scary thought. But this point is far from being our only problem.
What challenges are you still facing?
Our women's shelter is constantly overcrowded. That won't get better during the Corona crisis. We also lack specialist staff. Simply renting a hotel due to lack of space is therefore not a solution. The women who come to us are often very depressed and need individual care. So there is much more to it than just offering accommodation. There is a big rat tail hanging on it.
Do you have a solution for this?
At this point I am currently overwhelmed. We cannot conjure a solution out of the hat in the women's shelter. If we only got offers for vacant apartments in which women could move in, that would help us a bit. This also applies to donations that support us in the current situation. In the long run, it probably only helps to strengthen our resources. But it will be difficult.
How do you protect women from the coronavirus?
Together we discussed the correct behavior, such as frequent hand washing and the safety distance. Otherwise, women, like everyone else, must adhere to the exit restrictions. And if we have a case, we will issue a quarantine.
info
The donation account of the women's shelter is:
Women help women eV Sparkasse Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen; IBAN: DE53 7005 4306 0570 0400 14; Bic: BYLADEM1WOR.
The association offers a 24-hour emergency telephone for women affected by violence, which can be reached on 0 81 71/1 86 80.
All information about the corona crisis in the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district can be found in our live ticker.
