The project aims to provide support to financially vulnerable women, who are unable to defend themselves and claim their rights before the justice system, in times of crisis and extreme poverty.
It is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, under the “We are all Citizens” program, which is part of the overall EEA Financial Mechanism for Greece (EEA Grants), with the Bodossaki Foundation as Grant Manager. The aim of the overall Program is to empower civil society in our country and to strengthen social justice, democracy and sustainable development. The program will run from May 2015 to April 2016.
The program is primarily addressed to women (native and migrant women) victims of domestic violence or forced prostitution (trafficking). The total number of beneficiaries is 65 women, including ten migrant women victims of domestic violence and/or trafficking.
The aim is to support and represent them legally, to acquire knowledge and skills to manage their legal rights (legal literacy) and to escape from the consequences of violence.
Requirements for the involvement of women
- low incomes
- urgent needs to address legal and administrative issues critical to their empowerment and economic self-sufficiency
Services
- Free legal assistance services for recourse to the courts with full coverage of costs for issues related to or arising from violence (divorce, alimony, lawsuits, etc.)
- Assistance and coverage of costs for issuing a residence permit in the case of foreign women victims of violence and/or trafficking
- Legal support and accompaniment for the settlement of ancillary issues, mainly – but not exclusively – with administrative services (tax office, funds, public utilities and organisations, banks, etc.)
- Empowerment seminars to enable women to cope with and effectively manage the long-term (psychological and social) consequences of gender-based violence. The seminars are expected to contribute to: supporting women in gaining autonomy, strengthening their self-image and self-confidence, social inclusion.
Other actions
- Information and awareness raising campaign for broader groups of citizens on gender-based violence and its consequences and the defence of women’s right to life and safety, protection from violence/trafficking, fair trial
- Activating professionals/officials and creating a team of specialists and experts to accompany the effort to provide legal support and advocacy to women who have suffered gender-based violence in order to exercise their right to protection on a voluntary basis
- Open mutual learning meetings with lawyers, experts on gender-based violence and justice, representatives of prosecutors and/or judicial authorities, lawyers’ associations, NGOs and women’s organisations, etc. with the aim of exchanging experiences, recording the problems/needs that arise when women seek justice, formulating proposals for avoiding gender stereotypical approaches and spreading good practices in the handling of legal cases of domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence
Deliverables
- Index of good legal practices in dealing with violence against women
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