NO to violence! Orange the World 2023 - Info day in the Cottbus town hall

On the occasion of the UN campaign "Orange The World", the municipal Equal Opportunities Officer of the city of Cottbus, the Equal Opportunities Office of the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and a large number of local actors, including the Brandenburg Violence Prevention Office, the Lila Villa Women's Centre, the Brandenburg Victim Support Association, the Cottbus Women's Shelter, the Leyla Counselling Centre and other initiatives are organizing an information day where professionals and all interested parties can find out about violence prevention and counselling services in Cottbus.

In view of the persistently highnumber of cases of domestic violence, which increased fivefold during the pandemic and rose by a further 8.5% in 2022 compared to the previous year¹, as well as current global socio-political events, it is important to be aware of forms of violence and their causes and to take decisive action against them.

The Mayor of Cottbus, Tobias Schick, will open the information day at 10:30 a.m. by raising the orange flag in front of the town hall. Take the opportunity to take part in this symbolic act yourself and send a clear signal against violence. Orange waving elements will be distributed to all those present, which together with the flag symbolize a bright future without violence against women.² Afterwards, you canfind out about counselling services in the Stadthaus until 3 pm and talk to representatives of the initiatives over a cup of coffee or tea.

The UN campaign "Orange The World" has been drawing attention to violence since 1991: from the International Day to End Violence Against Women on November 25 to December 10, Human Rights Day. During this 16-day campaign period - #16days - three Cottbus buildings will be symbolically lit up in orange. Join in and put an orange light in the window to show your solidarity with those affected and shine a bright light for peaceful, non-violent coexistence.

BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg will also be raising orange flags at its locations on the main campus, in Sachsendorf and in Senftenberg during the campaign period. As part of #16days, the Equal Opportunities Office at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg is also organizing two online events to which students, staff members and interested parties are cordially invited:

• Tuesday, 28.11.2023 | 14 - 16:30 | Sexism in Everyday Life - Recognize, Name, Act
  The online seminar by Dr. Sandra Schwark provides an exemplary overview of where and how we are confronted with sexism in everyday life and what options for action are available to us as those directly or indirectly affected.

• Tuesday, 5.12.2023 | 15:30 - 16:30 | Sexualized violence. How does it concern me?
  How does it concern me? How does it affect me when something so cruel happens to another person? Jana Schäfer, postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, examines the social scaffolding that constructs categories of victims and perpetrators and classifies them into hierarchies of compassion and attention.