Solidarity walk turns 11 million steps into political demands

A solidarity walk against violence against women ended at Michelberg in the Korneuburg district on Sunday after about 1,000 people took part. The organisers are now calling on politicians to take action, ORF reported.

The walk began on Thursday in Mistelbach city park and continued through the Weinviertel region. Participants walked together, held discussions, listened to personal accounts and collected kilometres digitally, reaching more than 11 million steps in total. The organisers said the campaign was intended to show that violence against women is not a private matter.

The organisers, the Frauen für Frauen Weinviertel association, said they wanted to speak with survivors rather than only about them. Renate Hofer and Nicole Dill, both survivors of attempted femicides, and co-organiser Renate Montigel, who has experienced violence herself, shared their experiences.

Their accounts showed that severe violence does not suddenly emerge from nowhere and highlighted the importance of taking warning signs seriously, the organisers said.

Manuela Kräuter, managing director of Frauen für Frauen Weinviertel, said the campaign had given people an opportunity to move from helplessness to action. Many did not want to accept that women were beaten, threatened or killed, she said, but often did not know how they could help. Participation therefore had to be made possible and civil courage demonstrated, Kräuter said.

She added that solidarity alone was not enough. Frauen für Frauen said that, by early September, the Autonomous Austrian Women’s Shelters association had recorded 18 suspected femicides and 45 cases of severe violence against women in 2026.

The association is calling for the consistent implementation and adequate funding of effective violence prevention measures and the National Action Plan on Violence against Women and Girls.

Its demands include challenging traditional gender roles during childhood and adolescence, providing accessible counselling and women’s shelter services, and working consistently with perpetrators. Survivors of attempted femicides or serious violent attacks should also receive free support, while such cases should be systematically analysed to identify gaps in protection and prevent the same mistakes from being repeated.

“Femicides are not simply unavoidable tragedies,” Kräuter said. Early intervention and consistent protection could make a difference, but this required structures, funding and political will. Violence must not be taken seriously only after a woman has died, she said.

The organisers said the campaign would not end with the final step at Michelberg, because violence against women concerned everyone.