Ilse Lichtenthäler receives Günter-Harig Prize for women's shelter work!

Ilse Lichtenthäler receives Günter-Harig Prize for women's shelter work!

Ilse Lichtenthäler receives the renowned Günter Harig Prize for her many years of commitment to women's work. At the awarding on October 15th, she will accept the prize for women in women's shelters and their employees. Lightal designs that have been active for women since 1978 have contributed significantly to the development and support of women's shelters in Germany. She has been working in the Lübeck women's shelter for 15 years and has also co -founded the support association in Siegen.

Lichtenthäler wants to draw attention to the situation in women's shelters with their commitment and refers to the challenges that many women have to master every day. Last year, 69 women and 98 children in the Lübeck women's shelter were looking for protection, while 239 women and 281 children had to be rejected due to lack of space. The need for protective places is enormous and the utilization of women's shelters in Germany is around 95 percent nationwide. There are currently around 400 women's shelters with a total of 14,000 places in Germany, which leads to the critical situation.

Background for the women's shelter movement

The women's shelter movement in Germany was significantly inspired by similar initiatives in England. From the mid -1970s, women's movements began to make the extent of violence against women and children public. The first autonomous women's shelter opened in Berlin in November 1976. In this context, it is important to mention that the financing of women's shelters in Germany is not a state obligation and that many institutions had to close due to financial bottlenecks. Every year, thousands of people seeking protection are rejected, which underlines the urgent need for reform in this area.

Lichtenthäler praises the support of the city of Lübeck, especially Mayor Jan Lindenau, but sees the cuts in the household as a serious problem. It emphasizes that the length of stay of women in the homes depends heavily on the housing market. Women with a migration background or many children in particular have a hard time finding access to safe accommodations.

Requirements for change

In their statements, light decreases criticized that violence against women is often not recognized by society as a solvable problem. However, this view hinders progress and the creation of secure retreat for women affected by violence. "We have to make sure that every woman who stands in front of a women's shelter can also be accepted," she emphasizes.

Lichtenthälers often use the guitar and plans to continue their commitment to women until the end of life. The award ceremony on October 15 is not only a personal, but also an institutional signal: it is a call to further support the valuable work in women's shelters and to increase the social importance of women's rights.

The award ceremony will take place in St. Petri on October 15 at 7 p.m.; Interested parties can register by phone or email.