27. November 2025 | Magazine:

#NoExcuse – International Day for the Abolition of Violence Against Women Statement by TU Braunschweig on 25 November

#NoExcuse is the official hashtag for the International Day for the Abolition of Violence against Women. “Today we remind everyone: there are no excuses. None. `Because all oppression creates a state of war.´ [1] Violence against women hurts. It hurts people and our values. It also damages the foundations of an open [2] society,” emphasises TU President Angela Ittel.

With this campaign, the Equal Opportunities Office has drawn attention to the femicides committed in Germany. Photo credit: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig 

Violence against women is still omnipresent

The latest figures are alarming: worldwide, one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence at some point in her life. The threat is also growing in the digital space: 38 per cent of women have already experienced online violence themselves, and 85 per cent have witnessed digital attacks against other women.[3] Female journalists are also particularly at risk, with 73 per cent reporting experiences of violence. [4]

The situation in Germany is also worrying. According to the latest police crime statistics (PKS), the number of female victims of violence and other crimes continues to rise.[5] Politically motivated misogynistic crimes have increased by 73.3 per cent compared to the previous year. There has also been an increase in sexual offences, domestic violence and human trafficking.[6]

Manfred Krafczyk, Vice-President for Digitalisation and Sustainability at TU Braunschweig, comments: “These are not abstract figures that we can brush aside. These are lives. These are injuries. And it affects our community. Violence against women is a fundamental violation of human rights.”

“Violence against women is a fundamental violation of human rights,” says Professor Manfred Krafczyk, Vice President for Digitalisation and Sustainability. Photo credit: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

The reason this day exists

Established by the United Nations in 1991, the day aims to raise awareness of the living conditions of women worldwide. It is a day to share facts, figures and stories. It also aims to remove the stigma surrounding this issue. Many women who have been victims of violence and sexual offences remain silent about it out of shame and fear.

“Violence against women is one of the most tolerated violations of human rights. This is unacceptable.” These words, spoken by former UN Women Executive Director Lakshmi Puri in 2014, hit the nail on the head. That is why we commemorate this day.

#NoExcuse: The members of TU Braunschweig are committed to ensuring that the hashtag does not remain an empty phrase. We are committed to making #NoExcuse a reality.

Click here for the official UN campaign: https://www.unwomen.org/en/get-involved/16-days-of-activism

There is no place for violence against women at our university. To demonstrate this commitment, the Equal Opportunities Office invited people to take part in an event on the university square. Photo credit: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

Freedom of research also means freedom from fear

At TU Braunschweig, we recognise that education alone does not provide automatic protection against violence. Power structures, diversity, and digital spaces can all be targets for attack. We must take a look, too. We must take action.

“Conducting science and living research means respecting and protecting the boundaries of everyone. This is a prerequisite for free science. Freedom means more than being free from violence. It also means living without fear of violence,” says Ulrike Wrobel, Equal Opportunities Officer at TU Braunschweig.

As a university, we bear responsibility for all members, our students and employees.

This responsibility encompasses more than just prevention; it involves creating safe spaces, strengthening points of contact, and actively promoting care.

Today – 25 November – we stand together. And we say clearly: #NoExcuse.

[1] Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, (1949)

[2] Karl R. Popper: The Open Society and Its Enemies: An Introductory Commentary.

[3] https://onlineviolencewomen.eiu.com/

[4] The Chilling: global trends in online violence against women journalists; research discussion paper – UNESCO Digital Library.

[5] https://www.bka.de/DE/Presse/Listenseite_Pressemitteilungen/2025/Presse2025/251121_PM_BLB_HG_StraftatengegenFrauen2024.html?nn=27906

[6] https://www.bka.de/SharedDocs/Kurzmeldungen/DE/Kurzmeldungen/251121_BLB_Straftaten_gegen_Frauen2024.html