Athens announces its first ‘Women’s Counselling Centre’

In honour of 8 March, the Greek capital revealed the establishment of a centre for victims of gender-based violence

The Mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis announced the creation of the city’s first ‘Women’s Counselling Centre’ on 8 March, International Women’s Day. The main aim of this establishment is to support and care for women who are victims of discrimination and gender-based violence.

Gender equality

The municipality has ensured that the centre is staffed with highly skilled professionals to guarantee that women receive the help that they need. More specifically, the women’s counselling centre will have 11 employees – including 2 psychologists, 2 social workers, 1 sociologist and 1 lawyer.

In a press release issued by the municipality, Mr. Bakoyannis explained that this centre is in accordance with the European Charter for Gender Equality. Moreover, it is in line with Athens’ plan to not only raise awareness but also tackle gender-based violence and discrimination.

“Every structure, every action and every initiative we take in our effort to effectively care for women who are psychologically or physically abused, brings us closer to a society of respect for human dignity,” sharedMr. Bakoyannis.

Breaking the silence

The budget for the women’s counselling centre is reported to be 1.3 million euros. In addition to this, it will be financed by the Attica Operational Program 2014-2020 which is co-financed by the EU, explained the Municipality.

This year, Greece has made invaluable steps towards achieving gender equality as it finally broke its culture of silence. In fact, it was only last month that the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the launch of the local MeToo website.

Commenting on this yesterday, Bakoyannis claimed that 8 March carries special significance for Greece this year. “Dozens of women join the #metoo movement and break their silence,” he said. “It is time for our society, all of us, to break it. With actions.”