With the Secretary General for Equality and Human Rights, Katerina Patsogianni, as the keynote speaker, the fifth online meeting of the Network for Combating Gender-Based Violence took place on Wednesday, February 3.
The Network for Combating Gender-Based Violence is an initiative of the Ladies’ Union of Drama-HOH. as part of the project “TIME TO TALK II.” Institutional bodies from the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and civil society organizations are participating. The aim is to get to know each other, exchange good practices, identify problems faced by frontline professionals, and exert institutional pressure on the state.
Ms. Patsogianni presented the national and European policy framework for gender equality and combating gender-based and domestic violence, pointing out that, despite the country’s particularly advanced institutional framework, the key issue remains the effective implementation of policies in practice. Of particular importance was the fact that the Secretary General did not limit herself to presenting guidelines and national strategies, but engaged in a substantive and interactive dialogue with frontline professionals. In this context, experiences, concerns, shortcomings, and needs arising from the daily management of incidents of gender-based and domestic violence at the local and regional levels were shared.
The participants agreed that gender-based violence is a complex social phenomenon that requires coordinated and ongoing cooperation between all stakeholders. The dialogue highlighted issues relating to policy implementation, the need to strengthen structures and coordination, and the importance of prevention and timely intervention. In this context, the participants renewed their appointment for the next meetings of the Regional Network for Combating Gender-Based Violence, with the aim of continuing the dialogue and cooperation. The discussion was coordinated by the project’s scientific coordinator, Sevasti Hatzifotiou, Dean of the Department of Social Work at Democritus University of Thrace.
The project “DEVELOPMENT OF ACTIONS TO PREVENT AND COMBAT GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE: TIME TO TALK II” is implemented within the framework of the “Eastern Macedonia – Thrace 2021-2027” Program and the priority “Social Inclusion and Combating Poverty (ESF+)”. The project is co-funded by the European Social Fund and is part of the Sustainable Urban Development Strategy of the Municipality of Drama.