A Dress Not a Yes: Challenging a Culture of Violence Against Women in Austria
This year alone, 27 women have been murdered by men in Austria. This underscores a deeply concerning trend: every third woman in Austria experiences physical or sexual violence.
Jasmina Malkoč, women’s representative for the Young Generation (JG) Vienna, is unequivocal: “These are not isolated cases, but rather an expression of structural violence.” This violence, she emphasizes, doesn’t start with physical attacks. It begins much earlier, taking root through catcalling, sexist language, and seemingly harmless jokes that normalize a culture of disrespect towards women. This insidious cycle creates the foundation for a system that progresses from psychological and verbal abuse to physical and sexual violence.
A Discomforting Reality: Reversing the Narrative
The Young Generation criticizes the all-too-common phenomenon of blaming the victim. Especially when it comes to sexual violence, whispers about the Survivors’ attire become louder, framing clothing choices as justifiable reasons for violence and shifting blame away from the perpetrator. “But how we dress is not a yes!” Malkoč asserts. “No article of clothing in the world justifies violence against women and girls.” Over time, what begins as a childhood dream of a white wedding dress, a symbol of romantic love, can become a chilling reminder of patriarchal control and oppression.
The white wedding dress, as Malkoč argues, embodies the long history of how marriage, as a patriarchal construct, has confined women to economic dependency and control. It serves as a potent reminder of the way women, for decades in Austria, were constrained: legally and socially restricted by marriage. “Until gender equality was achieved in 1975 under the first women’s minister, Johanna Dohnal, women were not allowed to work without their husbands’ permission,” Malkoč explains.
“Marital rape was not a criminal offense in Austria until 1989. And even today, marriage is still an instrument to control women sprigs. Because the majority of free care work is still done by women. If they didn’t, the state would have to organize things differently (keyword: comprehensive child care, lack of care) and that would be much more expensive,” adding, “Marriage not only relieves the burden on husbands, but also the state.”
Unequal Labor, Unequal Power
The unequal distribution of unpaid care work within heteronormative relationships directly contributes to the vulnerability of women. The more unbalanced care work is, the higher the risk of domestic violence. The rising trend of young women promoting the idealized image of “Trad Wives” on social media is particularly alarming. While presenting a romanticized glimpse into a seemingly idyllic life, it riskily pushes back against decades of progress. This push for a “return” to traditional gender roles may appear harmless, but it masks a dangerous trajectory that traps women in dependence and isolation.
“The economic independence of women is so important, especially in order to be able to break away from violent relationships, warnings JG Federal Women’s Spokesperson Stefanie Grötz. Young girls are particularly susceptible to these dangerous narratives”.$
Ending Childhoods Too Soon: The Fight Against Child Marriage
Austria’s recent legislation that prohibits marriage under the age of 18 represents a significant step forward.
But the fight extends beyond national borders. “What is then needed is comprehensive education, support for those affected, and a decisive fight against patriarchal structures that promote such practices. Not just in Austria, but worldwide” underscored Malkoč. Every year, 15 million
How can educational initiatives effectively challenge the “patriarchal structures” that Jasmina Malkoč argues underlie violence against women?
**Interviewer:** Jasmina, the statistics paint a grim picture of violence against women in Austria. Every third woman experiencing physical or sexual violence is staggering.
**Jasmina Malkoč:** Absolutely.These aren’t isolated incidents but a symptom of deeply rooted structural violence against women. This violence doesn’t just begin wiht physical attacks. It starts subtly – catcalling, sexist language, jokes that normalize disrespect towards women. This insidious cycle creates a breeding ground for more severe forms of abuse.
**Interviewer:** You’ve spoken out strongly against the culture of victim-blaming, especially when it comes to sexual violence.
**Jasmina Malkoč:** Its abhorrent. We constantly hear whispers about what the victim was wearing, suggesting that clothing somehow justifies violence. Let me be clear – no article of clothing, ever, justifies violence against women.
**Interviewer:** You’ve also linked this violence to customary gender roles, citing the example of the white wedding dress.Can you elaborate on that connection?
**Jasmina Malkoč:** The white wedding dress, often seen as a symbol of romance, also represents a history of patriarchal control. For decades in Austria, marriage restricted women’s legal and social freedoms. until 1975,women couldn’t work without their husbands’ permission. Marital rape wasn’t even a crime until 1989. Marriage, even today, can be a tool to control women through the burden of unpaid care work.
**Interviewer:** And the responsibility for this care work primarily falls on women, contributing to their vulnerability?
**Jasmina Malkoč:** Exactly. When care work is unbalanced, women are more susceptible to domestic violence. This trend is further intricate by the ”Trad Wife” movement on social media, which romanticizes traditional gender roles and threatens to undo decades of progress.
**Interviewer:** So, what can be done to break this cycle of violence?
**Jasmina Malkoč:** We need complete education, support for survivors, and a dedicated fight against the patriarchal structures that perpetuate these harmful practices. Not just in Austria, but globally. Every year, 15 million girls are married before the age of 18.
**Interviewer:** What message do you have for our readers? How can they be part of the solution?
**Jasmina Malkoč:**
Challenge sexist jokes and language. Support survivors of violence. Demand equality and challenge systems that perpetuate violence against women.We must all work together to create a world where a dress is never interpreted as a yes to violence.
