The Vinissima Women & Wine Network has set up a digital awareness center for victims of harassment, boundary violations, and abuse of power in the wine industry and gastronomy. The service is explicitly aimed at women who are not members of the association.

Through the email address hilfe@vinissima-ev.de, affected individuals can confidentially and easily request support. Additionally, lawyer Alexandra Sofia Wrobel offers confidential initial consultations. The goal is to inform women about personal and legal options for action and to facilitate the first step, the association announced.

The trigger for the new service was an internal survey conducted in the summer of 2024, in which nearly 200 women participated. 36 percent of respondents reported having experienced sexualized violence at least once within the industry. Among the 18 to 29 age group, the proportion was reported by Vinissima to be 58 percent. Although the results are not representative of the entire wine industry, they indicate a clear need for action from the network's perspective.

"Since 2024, we as an association have been intensively dealing with the topic of #MeToo in our industry," reports chairwoman Trixi Bannert. "We did not believe that the issue was bigger for us than elsewhere. But we have experienced that it is hardly addressed in our industry, while elsewhere changes are already being worked on."

Vinissima has already organized several workshops on assaults in gastronomy, legal questions, and gender roles on wineries. It has become clear that boundary violations do not only begin with physical assaults. Unwanted messages and photos or the repeated questioning of professional competence based on gender can also burden those affected and be legally relevant.

With the new contact point, Vinissima aims to free the topic from taboo and encourage women to seek support. The nationwide network is active in 13 regional groups.

(ru – Image: 123rf)