The Center of Women’s Studies ‘’Diotima’’, on the basis of its long-term and systematic occupation with the gender- based violence issues, carries on and intensifies its efforts in order to fight all the complex forms this violence gets. More specifically, during a period that this phenomenon is so intense, under the recent refugee “crisis” in Greece, the Center implements various acts that prevent and cope with the gender- based violence against a really vulnerable group: the refugee womens and girls.

Our goal is to respond to the special needs that the refugee population has, since the refugee newcomers face unusual forms of gender – based violence (traditional harmful practices, like amputation of external genitalia or honor killings, forced and premature weddings, rape and sexual harassment during their voyage and sojourn in temporary accommodation centers) and their refugee status is a very important parameter in the process of their empowerment, support and protection.

The CWS Diotima implements a whole series of programs and interventions about gender violence against refugee women and girls as well as men and boys and LGBTQI people.

Our main goals are:

• Writing down the stuff and the services needed, both in the centers of temporary accommodation and in the urban zones and making proposals to ensure the protection and the safety of the women refugees from every type of gender- based violence.
• Comprehensive case management services for gender- based violence (psychosocial support, escorting, empowerment, legal support, etc.)
• Free legal aid for women who have survived gender- based violence, with a focus on the refugee population in Attica and Northern Greece
• Preventive actions in order to sensitize all the professionals who come in contact with the women who have survived (both in the accommodation centers and the urban zones) and the refugee community
• Seminars in order to inform the refugee women about their rights nationally and internationally with regard to the asylum and the protection from gender- based violence
• Actions of empowerment and integration (specialized professional counseling, acquisition of social and vocational integration skills, etc.)