Initiative against violence towards women: BILLA prints women's emergency numbers on cash register receipts

• Low-threshold information on help offers together with the City of Vienna in all 336 Viennese BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores 

• Posters, flyers, checkout dividers and digital screens in the delicatessen with information in five different languages 

• Initiative runs from 29th November to 11th December 

In a joint initiative of BILLA and the City of Vienna, the telephone numbers of the 24-hour women's emergency hotline and the emergency hotline of the Vienna women's shelters are printed on the checkout receipt, which is given after paying for the shopping. The aim is to provide low-threshold information about help options. 

"Two thirds of our customers and also of our employees are female, in our stores we have hundreds of thousands of contact points with women who shop or work with us every day. With small tips, we can contribute to informing women affected by violence about the various help and counselling services and where they can turn to in dangerous situations," explains Elke Wilgmann, BILLA CEO, and adds: "I can speak for the entire BILLA family when I say that we reject violence - whether verbal, emotional or physical. Against the background of the shocking femicides that have already happened in Austria this year, this initiative together with the City of Vienna is at least a small contribution we can make to help those affected." 

In addition to the checkout slips, the product separators on the checkouts, posters and flyers as well as the digital screens in the delicatessen provide information about the women's emergency numbers - in the languages German, English, Turkish, Serbian and Polish, in which the counselling services are also offered, in order to reach as many female customers as possible. For the employees of BILLA and BILLA PLUS, corresponding information is available in the staff rooms. 

"The City of Vienna is there for women in emergency situations! Women affected by violence get support at the 24-hour Women's Emergency Hotline and the Women's Shelter Emergency Hotline - around the clock. It is important that women in an emergency situation get help as quickly and unbureaucratically as possible. The more often the emergency numbers are pointed out, the better," says Deputy Mayor and City Councillor for Women Kathrin Gaál on the expansion of the initiative. Her appeal to all those who are affected by violence or perceive violence: "Civil courage means: We don't look away. In Vienna, we all look together and get help when someone needs it. So that all Viennese feel safe and comfortable in our city. Get help and call! Violence against women has no place in our city!" says Deputy Mayor and City Councillor for Women Kathrin Gaál. 

Women's emergency hotlines available around the clock 

The free telephone number 01/71719 of the 24-hour Women's Emergency Hotline of the City of Vienna is printed on the checkout receipts of BILLA and BILLA PLUS and on the information material in the stores. This is the contact point for all women and girls over the age of 14 who are or have been affected by sexual, physical and/or psychological violence. → www.frauennotruf.wien.at

Also printed is the emergency number of the Vienna Women's Shelters Association (057722), which is also staffed around the clock. Vienna's women's shelters offer women and their children protection, support and also temporary accommodation. → www.frauenhaeuser-wien.at