Drama Ladies Union-House of Open Hospitality in cooperation with the Committee on Gender Equality of the Municipality of Drama, the Community Center and the Union of Police Officers of the Prefecture of Drama held a two-day event to honor the National Day and activate more citizens against the fight of gender-based violence.

Therefore, on Thursday (24/11), representatives from all the above bodies distributed promotional material in the center of Drama, in the public market and in cafes, informing citizens about the early identification of the first abusive signs, but also about the supporting structures and helplines they can turn to to seek more information.

On Friday (25/11), from the morning until late in the afternoon, various informational and artistic actions were carried out that aimed at activating citizens of all ages. In particular, in the morning, the “Information and Raising Awareness Action of Child Abuse” was held in the hall of the old City Hall of Drama, with Ms. Matina Gavriiloglou, Psychotherapist of the Community Center, Psychologist of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, MA, as the main presenter. The action was addressed to private tutoring schools, but also to any person directly involved with children that can be a person of reference and trust.

Then the action was continued by presenting the graffiti work “Your person. A-dikos” at Venizelou & Patriarchou Meletiou Street, which was created within the framework of the “Time to Talk” project of the Drama Ladies Union, aiming at raising public awareness on gender-based violence. This event also included the awarding of the creator, Mr. Georgios Kolovos, for his many hours of volunteer work by the President of the Drama Ladies Union-House of Open Hospitality, Ms. Aliki Tsiamoura, and it was musically accompanied by the saxophonist Mr. Stratis Stavropoulos.

Lastly, in the afternoon, a photo exhibition was held at the Drama Ladies Union referring to Women Abuse, whereas the building was illuminated in orange, the color designated by the UN to symbolize the fight against women’s abuse. The event was musically accompanied by the young band “Nameless”, which consists of Christina Koskeridou (vocals), Christos Ouzounis (vocals, guitar), Tasos Kouzounis (electric guitar) and Achilleas Kagias (drums).

“Time to Talk” is implemented in the context of the Active citizens fund program, with Drama Ladies Union-House of Open Hospitality as implementation body. The €13.5 million Active Citizens Fund program is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and is part of the European Economic Area (EEA) financial mechanism for the period 2014 – 2021, known as EEA Grants. The program aims at fortifying and strengthening the sustainability of civil society and at highlighting its role in promoting democratic processes, strengthening citizens’ participation in society and defending human rights. The management of the grant of the Active Citizens Fund program for Greece has been jointly undertaken by the Bodossaki Foundation and SolidarityNow. For more information: www.activecitizensfund.gr

PRESS OFFICE OF THE DRAMA LADIES UNION-HOUSE OF OPEN HOSPITALITY