Chain of lights with 1,000 candles

For the third time on Sunday, the "Women can’t be beaten" chain of lights lit up the Zug Seepromenade.

The "Frauen sind unschlagbar (Women can’t be beaten)" light chain event highlighting the prevention of violence took place on the Zug Seepromenade on Sunday, with the lighting of 1,000 candles, according to the announcement today. The action was organised and carried out by several women's organisations in Zug. The light chain event thereby took place for the third time at the beginning of Advent. Various actions are being taken to draw attention to this topic worldwide, as well as in Switzerland.

It is believed that one in three women suffers physical or psychological violence in their lives – a fact that causes great suffering for those affected and represents a violation of human rights. The total number of criminal offences in the canton fell last year, but not the number of cases of domestic violence.

Increase in domestic violence
According to the press release, the Zug police were called out for 439 incidents of domestic violence last year – 53 more cases than in 2017, and the highest number in the last five years. It is even more alarming when considered over a longer period of time: the number of reported cases of domestic violence increased by 25% between 2009 and 2016.

Photo 1: The string of lights on the Zug Lake Promenade. Pictured here are Catherine Schuppli (left) and Judith Döll.
Photo 2: The Zug government building is also irradiated in orange light.
Photo 3: The chain of lights along the Seepromenade
Photos: Stefan Kaiser (November 29, 2020)

Various Zug organisations are involved in the "16 Tage gegen Gewalt an Frauen (16 Days Against Violence against Women)" campaign. The "Women can’t be beaten" working group is made up of fra-z (formerly Women's Church of Central Switzerland), Herberge für Frauen (hostel for women) Zug, eff-zett Opferberatung (victim counselling) Zug, Triangel Beratung (triangle consultation) Zug, the Soroptimist International Club Zug, the Reformed Church of Zug, the Catholic Church Steinhausen, and Pallas – Self-defence for women", and works together with FRW Intercultural Dialogue Zug.