SP plans popular initiative to protect women against violence
Keystone-SDA
The Social Democratic Party is set to propose the launch of a popular initiative to improve the protection of women. It calls on the federal government to co-finance minimum standards with around CHF500 million ($624 million) per year.
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“We are experiencing an epidemic of violence against women, which is unacceptable,” said Social Democratic Party Co-President Cédric Wermuth on Swiss public relevision SRF on Friday evening. The measures that have been initiated, such as an emergency telephone or more space in women’s shelters, are not enough for him. The current system is failing, people need to put their foot down, said Wermuth.
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‘Every femicide is one too many’: Swiss minister
Party Co-President Tamara Funiciello hopes that the initiative will put an end to the major cantonal differences. The initiative guarantees resources and quality standards in all cantons – for example, more women’s shelters, prevention campaigns and work with perpetrators, she said on SRF.
The centre-right Radical Liberal Party Women’s President Bettina Balmer is more cautious when it comes to money: violence against women is real and a serious problem, she said in the SRF programme. However, she does not agree with “redistributing CHF500 million taxpayers’ money bureaucratically”. It would make much more sense to close specific gaps in the cantons so that women have access to services everywhere.
The number of femicides, fatal acts of violence against women, in Switzerland has risen to a record high of 22 cases this year. Just last week, an Algerian man stabbed his wife and two daughters to death in Corcelles in the canton of Neuchâtel.
Translated from German by DeepL/jdp
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