English
Welcome to the homepage of Frauenberatung.EN, your women’s advice centre!
The Women’s Counseling Center offers advice, information and support for women in difficult life situations
We are available by phone: Monday to Friday 9 -11 a.m.
and Tuesday and Thursday 14 – 16 p.m
Frauenberatung.EN has been providing advice and assistance to women of all nationalities and denominations for more than 20 years. We offer advice and information for women in crises and difficult life situations, women experiencing violence and problems in their relationships as well as for women going through separation and divorce.
Advice on violence
Women experience violence around the globe. Women experience violence within the family, from their partners or from strangers. Violence may occur at home, on the street, in the refugee accommodation or at work. Violence against women is a violation of human rights and is a punishable offence in Germany!
Violence does not just mean being slapped, punched or hit! There are different types of violence, including physical violence, psychological violence, digital violence and sexualised violence. Click here for examples of violence against women.
Violence can make you sick. A lot of women don’t talk about their experiences. They are afraid and ashamed. Don’t keep your experiences to yourself!Make an appointment with Frauenberatung.EN, where you can talk about your worries and fears. We will explain your rights and provide information on how you can protect yourself against further violence.
The employees at our women’s advice centre are all women. Our employees are bound by professional confidentiality, which means you can talk to us about anything, and we won’t tell anybody else! Our advice is free of charge.
How to contact Frauenberatung.EN:
To make an appointment, call us or send us an email. If you speak little or no German or English, ask someone you trust to call us for you.
Your advisor will then look for a woman interpreter to translate the conversation.
Frauenberatung.EN has four locations:
58332 Schwelm
Markgrafenstr.6
02336 – 4759091
58452 Witten
Bahnhofstr. 63
02302 – 52596
45525 Hattingen
Talstr. 8
02324 – 38093050
58313 Herdecke
Hauptstr. 43
02330 – 611111
Email: info@frauenberatung-en.de
Help in an emergency
Get help! Turn to a person you trust, such as a social worker, the caretaker, a neighbour…
If you are in danger and need protection immediately, you can also call the police: Dial 110
The police can, for example, make sure your husband/partner has to leave the home/refugee accommodation for 10 days.
Your rights under the Protection Against Violence Act
Regardless of their origins and residence status, in Germany women have the right to file an application in accordance with sections 1 and 2 of the Protection Against Violence Act [Gewaltschutzgesetz, GewSchG] if they are experiencing domestic violence and/or stalking. The court can, for example, forbid your husband/partner from:
- returning to the shared home, regardless of who signed the rental agreement;
- coming near you;
- contacting you by phone, SMS, WhatsApp, etc.
Frauenberatung.EN can advise you here.
Women’s shelters:
Women’s shelters provide protection for women and children experiencing violence. You are in safety at any women’s shelter. The address is not made public to protect the women living there. You can go to a women’s shelter night or day.
You can stay at a women’s shelter until you have found a new, safe home. You live with your children and have your own bathroom; there are common rooms where you can cook and eat. A lot of women and children live together at women’s shelters, so everyone has to help.
All social workers at women’s shelters are women. The employees are there to help you and your children process your experiences and make new plans. They will also help you in all financial matters and in dealing with authorities, and are there to support you during court proceedings.
If possible, please take any important documents with you to the women’s shelter.
School-age children will be sent to a new school.
To contact the women’s shelter in the Ennepe-Ruhr district:
call 02339 6292
or email info@frauenhaus-en.de
The women’s shelter often doesn’t have any free spaces left, or it might be important to move further away from your old home for your safety.
To find other women’s shelters in North Rhine-Westphalia, please visit:
www.frauen-info-netz.de
There is also a national German helpline for women who are experiencing violence, where you will be provided information by phone. Advice is available in 18 different languages and the number is available night and day!