"HTW Berlin promotes the goal of being a safe, non-discriminatory and non-violent place to learn, teach and work, characterised by a climate of acceptance and trust as well as a fair, supportive, respectful and appreciative organisational culture. [...] HTW Berlin promotes a culture of looking at and naming discriminatory, abusive or violent behaviour. It encourages its members to take responsibility for themselves and others. [...] Those affected receive the best possible safety and protection. Perpetrators must take responsibility for their actions."

This is an excerpt from the anti-discrimination directive that our university has adopted. It describes values and rules of behaviour that are binding for all members of the university.

However, the lived reality can be very different. People at HTW Berlin can also be confronted with sexualised discrimination and violence. Universities are hierarchically structured relationships of dependency persist, e.g. between students and lecturers, interns and supervisors, academic staff and project managers. Occasionally, the boundaries between study/work and private life also become blurred, for example when a study group meets for an after-work drink.

The only thing that counts when evaluating an experience is that a person feels discriminated against. The victims themselves or the witnesses classify the behaviour as problematic. It does not matter whether the discrimination was intentional.

As the person affected, you are not an isolated case and are not responsible for the misbehaviour of other people. Many victims find it helpful to contact an internal or external counselling centre and tell them about the incident. You also have the option of lodging an official complaint. In this case, you should seek advice in advance - anonymously if you wish.

If you witness sexualised discrimination and violence, show solidarity and offer your support to those affected! You also have the opportunity to report suspected incidents of discrimination.

Sexualised discrimination and violence is defined as all sexualised behaviour that is unwanted, undesired, inappropriate or non-consensual. This includes:

• Suggestive remarks and jokes,
• derogatory language,
• gestures and non-verbal comments,
• verbal, pictorial or electronic presentation of sexist or pornographic images,
• advances, intrusiveness, touching, physical contact, sexualised expressions of emotion,
• solicitation of sexual contact,
• coercion with a (also indirect) sexual background,
• Behaviour and actions that are prohibited under sexual criminal law.

At the beginning of November 2021, the university management set up a steering group to develop a protection concept in 2022 in order to implement preventive measures, establish a good procedure for dealing with sexualised discrimination and violence, implement the necessary structures and prepare all those responsible for their challenging task of case management.

The following university members were part of this steering group: Dr Sünne Andresen (full-time Women's and Equal Opportunities Officer, member of the Anti-Discrimination Council), Prof. Dr. Ing. Carsten Busch (President, member of the Anti-Discrimination Council), Kim Trombin (Anti-Discrimination Department of the AStA, member of the Anti-Discrimination Council), Jasmin Leutelt (research assistant), Tanja Schirmacher (research assistant), Jana Scholtze (Human Resources Department, member of the Anti-Discrimination Council), Prof. Dr Tilo Wendler (Vice President for Teaching), Prof. Dr Peter Zaumseil (Dean of Faculty 3) and Dr Heike Zillmann (Central Unit for Quality Assurance and University Development, member of the Commission for Studies and Teaching). Coordination: Dr Ulrike Richter (Central Office for the Advancement of Women & Gender Equality).

In November 2022, the university management adopted the protection concept for dealing with and preventing sexualised discrimination and violence as well as the action plan for implementing the protection concept.

The university receives professional support from inmedio Berlin.

Those affected and their confidants as well as witnesses and those seeking advice can contact the HTW Berlin Confidentiality Team (You can find a List of the members on the right) at any time. The Confidentiality Team deals with all reported incidents and initiates the necessary steps to protect those affected in close consultation with the members of the University who have contacted the Confidentiality Team.

The Women's and Equal Opportunities Officers, the members of the Anti-Discrimination Council and the psychological counselling service at HTW Berlin also offer their support. They listen, help think about the next steps and provide information about internal counselling and support options. They are bound to strict confidentiality and will only become active if the person seeking advice releases them from the obligation to maintain confidentiality. Anonymous contact and counselling is also possible.

Victims and witnesses can submit an (anonymous) report, victims can also submit a complaint. An online form is available for this purpose.

In crisis situations, the crisis service in Berlin with women's counselling centres, women's shelters, refuge homes and help for girls are at your side.

The specialist centre against sexualised violence against women* LARA advises and supports victims as well as their relatives and confidants. The services are multilingual. Legal advice from lawyers is also available.

The Berlin-based organisation selbstbestimmt advises people affected by stalking.

HateAid supports those affected by digital violence, provides information on counter-strategies, gives emotional support and advises on legal issues.

For those affected by sexualised violence, the team at Charité Berlin's outpatient clinic for the protection against violence prepares free forensic medical documentation that will stand up in court. Everything is done in consultation with the victims and with their express consent. The staff are bound to confidentiality - also towards the police and the courts. If those affected later decide to press charges, the documentation can be included in court proceedings (criminal, civil and/or family court).

Unfortunately, our used references and guidelines are published in german. They’re listed on the german version of this site.