EUROPEAN COMMISSION – JUSTICE
EXCHANGE OF GOOD PRACTICES ON GENDER EQUALITY
____
AWARENESS - RAISING ACTIVITIES TO FIGHT
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN & GIRLS IN GREECE
LONDON, 7 - 8 FEBRUARY 2012
THEODORA KATSIVARDAKOU
HEAD OF THE DIRECTORATE OF SOCIAL POLICY
GENERAL SECRETARIAT FOR GENDER EQUALITY
MINISTRY OF INTERIOR - GREECE
Violence against Women
An obstacle to the achievement of
• development
• peace
• gender equality
• social cohesion
The prevention and combating of all forms of
violence against women is one of the 4
strategic goals of the
National Programme for Gender Equality
2010 - 2013
The facts
• 2007-2009: 44 women victims of homicide by a
spouse or partner; 12% of the total number of
homicides
• 1 in 3 women victims of domestic violence went
on to marry the perpetrator even after having
received abuse prior to the marriage
• 2 in 3 women victims of domestic violence
remain in the abusive relationship for over 10
years.
«National Programme for Combating
Violence against Women 2010-2013»
• legislative measures to strengthen the
institutional framework
• actions to prevent the phenomenon and assist
victims
SOS Helpline
• Operation of the SOS Helpline since March 2011
• Nationwide; providing direct counseling for
women victims of violence 24 hours a day / 365
days a year
• The Helpline SOS 15900 received 3,938 calls
between 11/3/2011 and 11/1/2012.
• 2,957 (77% of total) complaints related to gender
violence cases, of this number, 84% related to
cases of domestic violence by a spouse / partner
Counseling Centers
• Creation of fourteen (14) Counseling Centers of
GSGE; one (1) in the main seat of each Greek Region,
plus one in the city of Piraeus.
• Creation of twenty seven (27) Counseling Centers in
the 27 largest Municipalities.
• Budget per center: €300,000 for 3-year operation
• The Counseling Centers provide frontline services,
responding to the need for emergency assistance to
women victims of violence
Shelters
• 20 Shelters in the largest Municipalities of the
country
• Capacity of each shelter: 20 women with their
children
• Budget per shelter: €700,000 for 3-year operation
• Respond to the need for direct assistance or
accommodation for women victims of violence
• Operate in conjunction with the GSGE Counseling
Centers
Services Provided
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•
•
•
Psychosocial support
Legal counseling
Accommodation
Legal aid in collaboration with local Bar
Associations
Training Professionals
• Counselors:
- an initial 30-hour training on psychosocial support and legal
counseling with a gender perspective.
- Continuing education on a monthly basis for one year
• Police:
- 209 police officers via 12 seminars on gender violence
• Hospitals:
- 29 male and female nurses via 2 seminars on gender
violence
Awareness Raising Campaign
Key priorities and aims of our campaign:
• To publicly denounce violence against women as
a violation of women’s human rights
• To raise awareness on violence against women
and encourage every citizen to challenge it
• To widely disseminate information on existing
structures and measures aimed at the protection of
women victims
Awareness Raising Campaign
Period of implementation: April 2011 –April 2013
• TV and radio spots
• Printed material (leaflet, posters,
stickers)
• Info booth
• Conferences
Awareness Raising Campaign
Slogan
SOS Helpline logo
* In Greek and in 3 foreign languages
Awareness Raising Campaign
Target Groups
 Women victims of gender-based violence
 Professionals handling cases of violence against
women (psychologists, social workers, lawyers, police
officers, doctors, etc.)
 Society as a whole (women and men of all ages and
backgrounds)
Awareness Raising Campaign
Counseling Methodology – Presentation Conference
*a 350-page Guide on the provision of counseling
services and support structure operations
* a 90-page Handbook of counseling specifically on
sexual harassment in the workplace
Target group:
• professionals of psychosocial support & legal
counseling who deal with women victims of gender
violence
Presented at a Conference:
• 30 September 2011, 350 participants
Downloads from site:
140 per item
Awareness Raising Campaign
«For the last Time» 35’’
On air: March - June 2011
Awareness Raising Campaign
Awareness Raising Campaign
«This is where she hurt herself» 45’’
On air: November 2011- January 2012
Awareness Raising Campaign
Participation in the 15th Biennale of Young Artists
Awareness Raising Campaign
1st Panorama of Films on Violence Against Women
Presentations to Schools & Students
• Approximately 10 presentations a year to schools
and high-school classes
• Open discussion on gender violence & gender
equality issues
NGO funding for Programmes/initiatives
on combating Violence against Women
• 5-6 programmes
• Budget : €70,000 each
• Subjects:
– Counseling of women victims of violence
– Raising social awareness
– Training professionals
Funding
• NSRF: Operational Programme «Administrative
Reform 2007-2013»
• Priority Axis III «Strengthening gender equality
policies across the breadth of public
administration»
• Activities Category 3.2.3 «Strengthening the
activities of Public Administration and Local
Government for the benefit of women and
combating violence»
• Campaign Budget: €543,000
Cost of violence against women
• Direct cost: care and support to abused and battered
women and their children and services dedicated to
successfully bringing perpetrators to justice
• Indirect cost: most importantly the cost of human
suffering, loss of human dignity and erosion of the social
fabric plus lost work-hours and productivity
• Each euro invested in policies to prevent domestic
violence, reduces the total cost of VAW by €87
Programme Objective
• Combating VAW
• Development
• Social Cohesion
In a framework of respect for human rights and
gender equality
Thank you for your attention.
Please visit our site
www.isotita.gr