16 Weeks Activism AGAINST THE CLOSURE of the Support Structures for Abused Women
There is a very bad development in Greece and the Greek colluagues urgently need our help!!! The Greek Government seems to have decided to close ALL of the support structures for abused women. For this reason, a Greek Campaign entitled: 16 Weeks of Activism for not closing the Support Structures for Abused Women has started. Below the message from Kiki Petroulaki from European Anti-Violence Network (EAVN), Athens, Greece.
We ask you to SIGN the PETITION addressed to the Greek Minister of the Interior asking him not to close the abused women’s support structures
What kind of Support we need:
The first action of the Campaign is a PETITION addressed to the Greek Minister of the Interior. Please read it, sign and forward it to EVERYONE!:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Ypoyrgo_Esoterikon_k_Argyri_Ntinopoylo_Na_min_kleisoyn_oi_domes_stirixis_kakopoiimenon_gynaikon/
We need as many signatures as possible in order to attract the attention of both the Government and the Greek Media (unfortunately, the topic is NOT included among their Agendas or among their interest).
2. We need a very broad dissemination of the existence of the problem, especially in bodies like the EU Parliament, CoE, UN-Women, etc., that can (if they wish) exercise some political pressure upon the Greek Government. We will also disseminate to these bodies, but personal contacts are always more effective; so, we would appreciate it a lot if you could inform about the Greek Government’s intentions any person that you personally know and you believe that s/he may cares to support us
3. If you have any other ideas for any other possible way of reaction or exercising pressure that you believe that could be more effective, please share them with us.

Brief description of the Greek situation and the problem
Most of you, you may already be aware that in Greece:
• until 2011 we had no specialized SOS telephone helpline for abused women
• until 2012 we had very few Counselling Centres for abused women and almost no shelters
• even today we have no specialized support centers for women who have been sexually abused

During the period 2011 – 2013, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, Greek Ministry of Interior, established 61 Support Structures, with fairly good geographical coverage, as in each of the 13 Peripheries of Greece currently there are at least two Counselling Centres and one shelter for abused women.
All of these structures were developed, equipped and operate with funding from the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) 2007-2013 and we were all expected that they will continue to be funded by the NSRF 2014-2020 (or from the State’s budget).
But, during the past 2-3 months, intense rumors started to circulate that the Greek Government intends to discontinue the funding of all these 61 structures in 2015.
We have already sent a formal question to the Minister of Interior and to the General Secretariat for Gender Equality and we are currently waiting for the official answer(s). But… their answer may be given to us when it will be too late…).