“Knowledge is the key to effective prevention”

How did Limita come to focus its work on children, young people and people with disabilities? children, young people and people with disabilities?

Yvonne Kneubühler: Limita arose from a need that women’s shelters recognized at the end of the 1980s: Not only women are affected by sexualized violence, but often their children as well. It became clear that targeted measures were needed to effectively protect the most vulnerable in our society – including people with disabilities. Sexualized violence is a “silent” form of violence that is particularly serious when it occurs in relationships of dependency and power. Limita is therefore committed to supporting institutions in particular, but also parents and relatives, in the development and implementation of prevention measures.

What specific services does Limita offer?

We offer educational events, because knowledge is the key to effective prevention. What are the mechanisms behind sexualized violence? How do perpetrators go about it? And why do victims often remain silent for years or even decades? If you understand the patterns, you can carry out targeted prevention work.

However, sexualized violence cannot be prevented through knowledge transfer and education alone – the protection processes that institutions anchor in their structures are crucial so that they can have a preventative effect in everyday life. Limita has therefore developed a wide range of advisory services and supports organizations in developing effective protection concepts, defining standards, binding processes and clear responsibilities and establishing a culture of looking and speaking up.

Limita empowers and strengthens children, young people and people with disabilities by conveying messages around the key message “My body belongs to me!” through playful courses. In addition, Limita provides information materials and working tools and carries out public relations work to make the topic more visible and raise public awareness.

On the International Day against Violence against Women, the focus in Switzerland this year is on “Gender-based violence and disabilities”. Where does Limita see a need for action here?

People with disabilities are particularly frequently affected by sexualized violence – this fact must be brought to the forefront of public awareness. It is crucial that prevention is given the highest priority in institutions and is anchored in everyday life with sufficient resources. This is the only way that protection processes can really take effect. The cantons also have a responsibility: they must define binding quality standards for prevention and ensure that these are consistently implemented in all institutions. It also helps if relatives ask institutions about their protection concepts. In general, we as a society should do more to promote the rights and safety of people with disabilities.

The Federal Council has published a report on “Violence against people with disabilities” in 2023, and interest groups have made further demands. Why is it that we are only making small steps forward on this topic?

Above all, there is a lack of courage and determination on the part of the federal government and cantons to set clear and binding guidelines for institutions. In addition, the voice of the lobby of those affected is not heard enough. This may be due to the limited resources of the relevant organizations or a lack of willingness on the part of politicians and society to listen seriously. Furthermore, prevention work continues to receive too little funding. Without a clear framework and sufficient resources, real progress is unfortunately only possible in small steps.

In terms of Limita’s day-to-day work, which social changes give her pleasure, and which are more of a headache?

It is pleasing that Parliament passed six identical motions in the fall, which have since been converted into postulates. These call on the Federal Council to take stock of the situation, examine the legal basis and make specific recommendations for effective protective measures. This shows: The political will is there – that gives us confidence. We are also pleased that there is increasing demand from institutions for our support in developing protection concepts. However, the question of how we can meet this demand is causing us headaches. How can we provide optimal support to as many organizations as possible?

What specific wishes does Limita have for itself and society for this year’s November 25 and the 16 days of action?

That we all become aware: Each and every one of us can make a personal contribution to effective prevention. This can take different forms: We can show that every body is worth protecting by talking openly about pleasant and unpleasant touches ourselves and communicating our own boundaries. We can show civil courage and stand up to the weaker ones and respect their boundaries. And most importantly, we can listen carefully to those affected. Subtle hints about boundary violations are often ignored by victims or they are not believed. We can counteract this with impartiality and an open ear.