On the occasion of November 25 – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Diotima Center organizes an open presentation event of the “Don’t Skip – Don’t skip gender-based violence” campaign. The event will take place on Sunday, November 25, 2018, at 12 noon at the Trianon cinema (Kodrigtonos 21 & Patision 101).

The event will be presented by actress Romanna Lobach. Participants and contributors to the campaign, which was implemented with the kind sponsorship of the Papastratos company, will attend and speak. Specifically: the Pan-Hellenic boxing champion Katerina Koutsogeorgopoulou and her coach Nikos Drosopoulos, the communications director of the Papastratos company Christina Akouri, the director – member of the competition jury Evi Karabatsou, the head of legal services from the Diotima Center Despina Tsouma, the actor Errikos Litsis and the director Alexis Koukias, whom we sincerely thank for their non-profit participation and practical support in our joint effort.

This will be followed by the awarding of the Audience Award and the Jury Award to the creators who have distinguished themselves in the “Young Creators opposed to Violence Against Women” Short Film Competition, which was announced as part of the campaign, and the two distinguished films will then be screened.

Landmark day

For the Diotima Center, November 25 is not just another anniversary. It is a landmark day for women all over the world, since it makes visible, in the public space and discourse, the fact that gender-based violence affects millions of femininities every day, regardless of ethnicity, age, class, religion, cultural, and linguistic characteristics. As an example, we mention that women, transgender women, and young girls, who lose their lives from gender-based violence, internationally, are more than the victims of wars.

After all, statistics (when and where care is taken to record the incidents) are relentless. According to the report “Violence against women: An EU-wide survey” of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA, 2014):

• one in 10 women in the EU has experienced some form of gender-based violence, from the age of 15
• one in 20 has been a rape victim
• one in 5 has suffered physical and/or sexual violence from a current or former partner.

The data for Greece “confess” that 25% of women have suffered physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former partner or by another person, from the age of 15 years. The corresponding average in the European Union (EU) reaches 33%.

However, only 14% of women report their most serious incident of intimate partner violence to the police, while 13% report their most serious incident of non-partner violence.

An inhibitor to gender equality

All of the above demonstrate that gender-based violence, a key inhibiting factor for gender equality, is a very serious social problem that is not limited by borders, social, economic, or cultural definitions, but concerns us all. Its elimination requires the active action of the whole society, since it is not a private matter.

In this context, our successful digital campaign “Don’t Skip – Don’t skip gender-based violence” sought and succeeded, through diverse actions and materials, on the one hand, to make visible the phenomenon of gender violence in its various forms (domestic violence, economic deprivation, physical violence, psychological abuse, trafficking), on the other hand, to sensitize our fellow citizens, so that they do not skip the incidents of gender-based violence, which they know, hear, or suspect.

Of course, we know very well that there is still a long way to go until the phenomenon is finally eradicated… However, it is worth pointing out that in recent years, with awareness and information campaigns, there has at least been an increase in the number of women who speak up and denounce it.

It is for this reason precisely, that we continue the campaign, aiming at increasing the awareness of the social environment (family, friends, neighbors) towards women who suffer gender-based violence. Support and encouragement are very important factors in reporting such incidents and breaking the cycle of abuse.

With the aim of spreading the message “Don’tSkip – Don’t skip gender-based violence”, the Diotima Center invites everyone to participate in the event on November 25.

**The Don’t Skip campaign is part of the SPEAK program, implemented by the Diotima Center with the kind support of Papastratos. The program also includes free legal aid and support for women who have suffered gender-based violence and have a limited annual income. For information about the provision of services, you can contact the organization at email: legal.diotima@gmail.com or by phone at 210-3244380, (Mon-Fri 12.00-17.00)