Brandenburg demands more money for women's shelters: Together against violence!

Brandenburg demands more money for women's shelters: Together against violence!

At the 35th Conference of Gender Equality and Women's Ministers (GFMK) in Essen, Brandenburg submitted an important proposal to finance investment costs for women's shelters. The application entitled “Strengthening the violence relief system through construction investments together” was unanimously approved and aims to strengthen structural measures for women’s shelters nationwide. This includes both new construction and the conversion of existing facilities. The federal government is asked to contribute to the costs in order to cover the high need for shelters for affected women.

During the conference, Minister Britta Müller expressed concern about the current situation in Germany and called for more investment in women's shelters. The decision is seen as a sign of the responsibility of society as a whole to protect women and children from violence. The background to this initiative is the Violence Assistance Act, which was passed by the federal government in 2025 and must be implemented by the states from 2027.

Important legal framework conditions

The Violence Assistance Act guarantees that women affected have access to protection and advice free of charge and without discrimination. In accordance with the law, the Federal Council approved the Violence Assistance Act on February 14, 2025, which secures an individual legal right to protection and counseling facilities until 2032. The states are obliged to determine structural needs and expand the aid system by 2027.

In Brandenburg, state funding for assistance for women affected by violence was increased in the 2025/2026 double budget. The funding will increase from 2,994,800 euros for 2024 to 3,284,400 euros for 2025 and 3,338,400 euros for 2026. There are currently 17 women's shelters, four shelters and three specialist advice centers for domestic violence available in Brandenburg.

Increasing rates of domestic violence

The police crime statistics for 2024 show an increase in crimes related to domestic violence in Brandenburg. A total of 6,790 cases were counted, which corresponds to an increase of 465 cases (7.4%) compared to the previous year. This worrying development underpins calls for a more robust support network and better funding.

In addition, the federal investment program “Together against violence against women”, which has been supporting measures in protective facilities since 2020, ended on December 31, 2024. This highlights the need for constant and sustained political commitment to the protection of women and children.

For immediate help and advice, affected women can contact the nationwide “Violence Against Women” helpline on the free number 116 016. Here you receive anonymous, confidential and barrier-free support, which is available in 18 foreign languages. There is also extensive information about women's shelters and advice centers in Germany on the website Frauenhauskoordination.de, including an interactive map for finding locations.