From 25 November to 10 December, the university once again took part in the international Orange Days - a series of activities as part of the UN campaign "UNiTE - Orange the World", which draws attention to gender-based violence worldwide.
Preparations for the first campaign began back in the summer: 360 of the 459 seats in the main auditorium on the Mönchengladbach campus were left empty to visualise the number of femicides in Germany in 2023.
For Orange Day itself, a varied programme of lectures, readings, discussions and exhibitions was also put together in close cooperation with the ZONTA Clubs Krefeld and Krefeld am Rhein, the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, the Family Service and the State Conference of Equal Opportunities Officers at Universities and University Hospitals in NRW (LaKof NRW).
Focus on digital violence
To kick off this year's Orange Days, a speaker from HateAid was a guest in Krefeld on 25 November and spoke about new forms of digital violence. Under the title From dickpics to deepfakes - recognising, naming and acting on digital violence against women, she provided information on legally compliant response strategies, counselling services and specific options for action. The facts and figures she presented emphasised the extent of gender-based violence, for example in the form of pornographic deepfakes. The hybrid event took place both on the Krefeld South Campus and online and was met with great interest. We would like to thank Mirco Wessolly from the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Dean Prof. Dr Anne-Friederike Hübener for the technical realisation, as well as our cooperation partners from the ZONTA Clubs Krefeld and Krefeld am Rhein.
Exchange and networking
The kick-off event followed on 26 November with an exhibition and panel discussion in the Future Work Lab. Representatives from the ZONTA Clubs Krefeld and Krefeld am Rhein, the network against domestic violence, the women's counselling centre, our equal opportunities department and the police discussed practical ways and challenges in the fight against gender-based violence. The on-site co-operation was particularly appreciated - the personal exchange led to many new impulses for the joint work.
Many thanks to everyone involved, especially Ingrida Dolfen and the Future Work Lab team for the organisation and service, as well as Ms Ihme for taking on the role of moderator.
Communication with attitude
On 27 November, the Equal Opportunities Office hosted an online seminar with Tessa Koschig: Showing attitude - impulses for a courageous communication culture. The interactive format offered specialists and managers space to reflect on structures of silence in organisations and develop strategies for responsible, clear communication.
Reading: Men, power & thought patterns
The reading and lecture by Martin Speer on 3 December offered a rounded degree: When the last woman leaves the room. With personal insights, the author showed how deeply anchored sexist thought and behaviour patterns are - and how men can become allies for equality. The event, organised by Gender Equality, Family Services and the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, took place hybrid on Krefeld South Campus and online. We would also like to thank our President Prof. Dr Meyer for her participation and words of welcome.
Visible signs and creative contributions
To accompany the event programme, the university hoisted orange flags at all locations and made the university logo in Mönchengladbach shine in bright orange. The university also took part in the state-wide campaign " Gewalt kommt mir nicht auf den Campus der LaKof NRW": Over 100,000 sandwich bags with the campaign print drew attention to the campaign in the canteens.
Students of cultural education also set artistic accents with the exhibition BodyPolitics - Art.Body.Conflicts. In the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, the project Raum für Gleichstellung - jede Stimme zählt! invited students to join in and exchange ideas. And in Professor Oemer Alkin's Cultural Work module, students created videos on the topic of violence against women in collaboration with director Bijan Benjamin. Our opinion: well worth seeing!
Together for a future without violence
The Orange Days 2025 made it clear that protection against violence and gender equality are tasks for society as a whole. The Hochschule Niederrhein's Gender Equality team would like to thank all partners, speakers and participants for their commitment, openness and joint efforts towards a world free of violence against women and girls.
