Jump to content

News from Fachhochschule Dortmund

Search

Language

Action day

Strong signal against violence against women

Published

Viola Dessin, a design graduate from Fachhochschule Dortmund, designed the pastry bag for the "International Day against Violence against Women".

The sandwich bag design by UAS graduate Viola Dessin for the "International Day against Violence against Women" is attracting further attention. This year, the bag will be distributed at almost 40 universities across NRW on November 25.

"Gender-based violence is a systemic problem that affects society as a whole as well as academic institutions," emphasizes Sonja Hunscha. She is the Equal Opportunities Officer at Fachhochschule Dortmund and, together with the State Conference (LaKof) of Equal Opportunities Officers and the student unions, has driven the sandwich bag project forward.

With the inscription "Gewalt kommt mir nicht auf dem Campus!" (Violence does not come on campus!), the movements of the "silent call for help" are depicted on it. This hand gesture signals an emergency situation. The sentence "No to violence against girls and women" can be read on the bags in fourteen languages. The design by UAS graduate Viola Dessin also includes the nationwide emergency number 116 016 and the web address www.hilfetelefon.de.(Opens in a new tab) "This joint campaign raises awareness of the help available," says Sonja Hunscha. The pastry bags are distributed in the canteens and cafeterias at numerous NRW universities.

Using hand signals in this sequence, victims of threats or violence can silently call for help. The Canadian Women's Foundation originally introduced the call for help for video calls.

At the same time, the Equal Opportunities Office is bringing the exhibition "Together against sexism" to the UAS locations. From November 25 to December 2, 2025, the poster series will present easy-to-understand facts and figures on the topic of sexism. "The exhibition is freely accessible to everyone in the foyer of House A on the Sonnenstraße campus in the Kreuzviertel district and in the kostBar on the Emil-Figge-Straße campus," says Sonja Hunscha. In addition to facts, there are also tips and advice on how to counteract sexism in everyday life. With the help of QR codes on the posters, the content is also available as an audio version.

As a special offer for students and employees of Fachhochschule Dortmund, the Equal Opportunities Office also offers two workshops on the "little 1x1 of self-assertion". These workshops not only talk about sexual assault and physical hostility, but also provide assistance and exercises to strengthen your own self-confidence.

Notes and references

Photo credits

  • Fachhochschule Dortmund | Michael Milewski
  • Fachhochschule Dortmund | Viola Dessin