Jutta Müller resigns: Women and family network in crisis!

Jutta Müller resigns as managing director of the Rohrbach women's and family network, triggered by financial uncertainties.
Jutta Müller resigns as managing director of the Rohrbach women's and family network, triggered by financial uncertainties. (Symbolbild/ANAGAT)

Jutta Müller resigns: Women and family network in crisis!

Rohrbach, Österreich - A farewell to melancholy: Jutta Müller, the co-founder of the women's and family network in Rohrbach, will settle her office as managing director at the end of June. After many years of passionate work, she feels overwhelmed and has the feeling of being abandoned by the System. This decision is not easy, especially since the network supports women and girls in difficult situations and has been playing an important role in feminist and cultural work in rural areas for 35 years. According to tips.at A Hearing for the selection of the new management at the end of June.

But the background of this resignation is alarming: Jutta Müller sought funding last year, but there was no feedback even after several months. "We are actually constantly being in a financial crisis," she emphasizes. A legal mandate that would guarantee financial security are missing. In particular, the women's and girl advice centers are not anchored in the Violence Protection Act, which leads to a problematic state: there is no fixed budget to rely on.

The tiresome financial situation

The financial uncertainties of the network are in a larger context. In Austria and Germany, the help system for women affected by violence is very endangered. Many sponsors of women's shelters and specialist advice centers fight with considerable funding gaps. There are around 90 circles in Germany that do not have their own women's shelter, which leads to a serious lack of support, especially in rural regions. Even in metropolitan centers, women often have to wait a long time for a place in the women's shelter or for a consultation date, such as "https://www.frauenhauskoordination.de/themenportal/hilfesystem/finanzierung-des-hilfesystems/"> Women's house coordination reports.

In this context, the new violent law, which was decided in February 2025, is a step in the right direction. The aim is to facilitate access to protection and advice for all affected women nationwide. But this alone will not be enough. The Federal Association for Women's Advice Centers and Women's Note calls for more public funds to expand the existing offers and create new ones. Overall, the aid system must be free of discrimination and accessible to every woman, as the Women against violence emphasized.

A call to change

Despite all the challenges, Jutta Müller remains optimistic. It will support your successor and hopes for better framework conditions for the new management. The available support offers are a bright spot for many women in dark times. But without the urgently needed financial resources, the effect of these offers is severely restricted.

It is obvious that there is an urgent need for action in both Austria and Germany in order to strengthen the financial basis of the aid system. This is the only way to ensure that women and girls receive the support that they need so urgently. The current situation may no longer be accepted, because every woman affected has a right to protection and help.

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OrtRohrbach, Österreich
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