Anti-discrimination Protection of women refugees against violence Women refugees are not accepted in women‘s shelters The media reported problems in protecting women refugees against violence in spring 2016. Women who have fled their home countries are particularly often confronted with violence, in Austria too, which is why they have to be given special protection in accommodation facilities. For example, it is problematic that women and their children who experienced violence may not be accepted in women’s shelters in several Laender. The AOB thus initiated a nationwide ex-officio investigative proceeding into this topic. Information was gathered from all of the Laender on how women refugees and their children are protected against violence. In concrete terms, a survey was conducted on which measures are taken in facilities that provide reception conditions under the Basic Provision Agreement in the respective Laender to protect women refugees and their children against violence and sexual assaults. The survey also gathered information on the measures for victims of violence and sexual abuse in facilities for basic provision, the steps initiated after violent incidents occurred and how the admission of women refugees and their children to women’s shelters is regulated. The results of the survey were as follows: AOB gathers information from all over Austria As measures for the protection of women refugees against violence in basic provision facilities, the Laender are taking the following criteria into consideration when allocating accommodation: nationality, ethnic group and marital status, separate sanitary facilities and the separate housing of women with and without children. Some Laender have homes or shared accommodations within the basic provision framework that are exclusively available to women refugees and their children. Other violence protection measures include that accommodation providers are available 24 hours a day or the 24-hour presence of care personnel in larger homes, the emergency number requirement, regular patrols and the obligation to report special incidents, advice and help from trained personnel as well as sensitisation to the prevention of violence for accommodation providers and cooperation with violence protection centres and women’s shelters. Regrettably, the statements provided by the Laender indicate that cases of violence to women refugees also occur in basic provision facilities. In this case, the accommodation providers are required to file a complaint and seek medical help for the victim. Depending on the nature of the incident, the perpetrators are moved to another location and warned that they will lose their entitlement to support under the reception conditions. In isolated cases there are also police operations which result in expulsion orders and prohibitions to return. If desired, affected women and their children are housed in specially protected accommodation or women’s shelters. Specialised anti-violence units are contacted to enable relevant therapy and care measures. 40