Social responsibility

Bag against violence against women

Published

11/22/2022

Three paper bags can be seen in dark surroundings, each with the inscription: Violence does not come into my bag!

In addition to the "silent call for help" and the emergency numbers, the bags also feature the phrase "No to violence against girls and women" in a total of thirteen languages.

Under the motto "Gewalt kommt mir nicht in die Tüte!", Fachhochschule Dortmund and partner organizations are organizing a large-scale campaign throughout the city on Friday, 25 November 2022 to mark the International Day against Violence against Women. "Tatort" actress Stefanie Reinsperger is supporting the campaign.

Around 140,000 printed paper bags, which will be handed out in Dortmund bakeries and company canteens, are intended to raise awareness of this highly relevant social issue and at the same time offer help. Illustrations on the bags show how women in emergency situations can signal the "silent call for help" with finger movements.

A QR code (with the short link www.fh.do/tuete) leads to the Fachhochschule Dortmund website.

On Friday, November 25, 2022, there will be a campaign by Dortmund women's clubs and associations in the city center from 5 p.m. with information material on the topic of "Violence against women". In the area between Altem Markt and Westenhellweg, the public and politicians will be asked to take a closer look and take action. In addition, the winning motifs from the 2021 "My picture against violence against women" photo competition organized by the Dortmund Equal Opportunities Office will be given away to passers-by as a set of cards.

Additional telephone numbers printed on the bag

Dortmund women's shelter(Opens in a new tab) : 0231 800081
Women's advice center(Opens in a new tab) : 0231 521008
Nationwide help hotline(Opens in a new tab) available around the clock: 08000 116 016

Three illustrations explain how the silent call for help is signaled: First hold the palm of your hand vertically and point it forward. Then bend the thumb in towards the palm. Finally, clench the remaining fingers into a fist.

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"Silent call for help": Victims of threats or violence can use this hand signal to silently call for help. The "Canadian Women's Foundation" originally introduced the call for help for video calls.

"The number of acts of violence against women has been rising for years," says Sonja Hunscha, Equal Opportunities Officer at Fachhochschule Dortmund. "Women in all areas of society are affected, including female students and employees of Fachhochschule Dortmund. For this reason, and because the Fachhochschule Dortmund is committed to being part of urban society, we launched the Dortmund Bag initiative." The project was initiated by the Dortmund city group of TERRE DES FEMMES, following examples in other German regions. Dortmund clubs from ZONTA and Soroptimistinnen as well as the City of Dortmund's Equal Opportunities Office are also involved.

Statement from "Tatort" actress

The alliance was able to recruit a prominent supporter for the campaign: Stefanie Reinsperger, known among other things as an actress in Dortmund's "Tatort" and as an author, gives the campaign a face. Alluding to the campaign's motto, she says: "Violence is not an option for me, because the number of unreported cases is still unbearably high."

A woman looks thoughtfully into the camera. Next to her you can read: Violence is not an option for me because the number of unreported cases is still unbearably high. The woman is Stefanie Reinsperger, actress in the Dortmund crime scene and author.

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Celebrity support for the campaign: Stefanie Reinsperger, actress in Dortmund's "Tatort" and book author

Designed and coordinated by FH students

The bag was designed by Viola Dessin, who studies at the Faculty of Design at Fachhochschule Dortmund. She not only included graphics with the "Silent call for help", but also the sentence "No to violence against girls and women" in a total of thirteen languages. Johanna Balz, a graduate of the Faculty of Business Studies, coordinated the contacts with the participating bakeries and companies.