SECURITY / SAFETY
2.6
Women’s Shelters
In the 1980s and early 90s, Susan Peter worked at the women’s shelter in Zurich. Later on, she spent nearly 20 years leading the Stiftung Frauenhaus Zürich (Women’s Shelter Foundation Zurich) and serving on the board of DAO, the umbrella organisation of women’s shelters in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Serena O. Dankwa talks to Susan Peter about the notions of danger and security pertaining to women’s shelters, the history of “Frauenhäuser” (women’s shelters) in Switzerland, as well as GPS ankle bracelets and other security measures taken to protect victims of domestic violence.
Susan Peter also comments on the ways in which violence against women is currently often framed as a “migration problem.” She holds that intimate partner violence persists as a result of larger sexist and patriarchal structures that need to be dismantled.
The interview is in German. You can download both German and translated English transcripts below.
Tasks
- Do you personally know people who have stayed at a safe house or made use of victim counselling services? What makes it so hard to speak about experiences of gender-based (sexualised, domestic etc.) forms of violence?
- Listening to Susan Peter, think about what may prevent better-off women from entering a women’s shelter or a victim protection programme.
- What is everyday life like in a safe house?
- How do you create security in a safe house?
- What does one do when a perpetrator is at the door?
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