Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation for the Protection of Women and Girls against Violence
Implemented in the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme “Regional Support to Reinforce Human rights, Rule of Law and Democracy in the Southern Mediterranean" (South Programme IV), the project Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation for the Protection of Women and Girls against Violence aims to improve protection mechanisms of women and girls victims/survivors of gender-based violence in the Southern Mediterranean region. The project supports efforts of local, national and regional actors by organising capacity-building activities and creating exchange and cooperation opportunities for regional actors working on the protection of women and girls.
Combating violence against women and girls in the Southern Mediterranean region is a priority area of the South Programme IV.
In this framework, the North South Centre of the Council of Europe supports co-operation for the protection of women and girls in the region through three types of activities:
- Regional Grant Scheme for Civil Society Organisations working on the ground on protecting and supporting victims/survivors of violence;
- Training on protection legal standards, tailored to the needs of Civil Society Organisations in the region;
- Peer-exchange and cooperation between civil society, governments, parliaments and international organisations.
Peer-exchange and cooperation between civil society, governments, parliaments and international organisations is a transversal priority of the project. Whereas many activities implemented by the beneficiary organisations are involving decision makers, the tutored training course also counts on the participation of members of local or national governmental institutions, thus contributing to strengthening the cooperation among complementary actors.
Civil Society Organisations play an essential role in improving protection and support mechanisms for victims/survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation for the Protection of Women and Girls against Violence acknowledges that projects implemented by Civil Society Organisations can improve the access of women and girls to protection and support mechanisms while ensuring human rights and victim-centred approaches.
The grantees of the Regional Grant Scheme foresee more than 30 activities, covering a wide range of topics related to violence, such as raising awareness on economic GBV, empowering and protecting single mothers, creating a unified referral system for victims/survivors of GBV, improving access to justice or promoting journalism good practices and media outreach.
The project Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation for the Protection of Women and Girls against Violence includes an online training for civil society actors who are at the forefront of victims/survivor’s protection. It will enhance their knowledge and capacities to use the regional and Council of Europe standards on combating violence against women and girls in their daily work. The training is based on the Istanbul Convention mechanisms and standards for protecting and supporting women and girls from violence, but it is tailored to the regional context and the specific needs of Civil Society Organisations working on combating violence against women and girls.
This customised training course, based on the existing Course on Violence Against Women of the Council of Europe Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) is delivered through weekly online sessions open to the participation of beneficiary organisations and governmental authorities working on women and girls’ protection. This format allows not only to strengthen capabilities and expertise, but also to foster a common understanding of definitions among key stakeholders.
Actors involved : Civil Society Organisations, local and national authorities, public prosecutors, providers of protection and support services, health professionals, psychologists, journalists and media professionals, legal professionals, teachers and school counsellors, community leaders,...
Final beneficiaries : Women and girls’ victims/survivors of violence, single mothers, migrant women,...
“Protecting Girls, reinforcing the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation to protect girls against gender based violence” opens the discussion on both a regional and societal level, considering the challenges and solutions to protect girls against violence and strengthen the legal and social infrastructure to support victims. The conference will also present recommendations and initiatives from civil society actors.
Association Djazairouna des familles victimes du terrorisme islamiste.
Improving access for women victims/survivors of gender-based violence to basic services necessary for their protection.
Algeria
Institutions and organisations will have better skills in victim-centred approaches and will contribute to improving the quality of services provided to women victims/survivors of gender-based violence to the basic protection services necessary for their protection.
Informing and sensitising women on their rights and mechanisms to claim them, including the dissemination of the legal system and procedures, and international and regional standards on women's rights and protection, will raise individual and collective awareness of victims/survivors of gender-based violence to break the cycle of violence and claim their rights.
The development of an emergency plan will also contribute to more effective protection of women and girls affected by gender-based violence.
- Training institutional and civil society actors in victim-centred approaches.
- Provision of psychological care and legal assistance.
- Awareness-raising workshops and dissemination of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) for institutional actors, civil society and women.
- Workshop for the elaboration of an emergency alert and reporting plan.
Edraak Foundation for Development and Equality.
Strengthen multi-sectoral partnership to combat gender-based violence.
Egypt
By creating a unified referral system and working on strengthening capabilities, the project aims at establishing a common methodological framework that helps to implement an integrated and multi-dimensional approach for protecting victims/survivors. Ultimately, it will contribute to increased law enforcement and better access to justice.
- Create a taskforce group of public authorities, civil society, justice workers, women and men and media to discuss about how to improve current protection mechanisms and draft a unified referral system, that will be followed- up and evaluated.
- Increase capabilities of services providers.
- Launch an awareness-raising campaign.
The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights.
Improving the Quality of Services provided to Abused Women.
Egypt
Improving the capabilities of Non Governmental Organisations, service providers in shelters and lawyers and creating networking and collaboration opportunities is expected to result in better sheltering services for women and girls victims/survivors of violence.
- Online training sessions for Non Governmental Organisations on how to provide legal aid to victims of violence.
- Face-to-face trainings for lawyers and service providers in women shelters on how to provide legal and sheltering support victims/survivors of gender-based violence.
Journalists for Human Rights.
Improve the implementation of national GBV protection and support mechanisms in Jordan.
Jordan
Journalists with better skills on communicating about gender-based violence and civil society and institutional actors who are more aware about the role of media in combatting violence can help to improve the implementation of national mechanisms for protecting women and girls.
- Training journalists on informing about gender-based violence and produce stories.
- Training Civil Society Organisations on gender-based violence and media relations.
- Workshop with institutional authorities, media, civil society and support services to assess current national protection mechanisms.
Collective for Research and Training on Development Action.
Supporting Survivors of Economic gender-based violence against women in a marginalized community in Lebanon - Raising awareness and Creating a Women Led Solidarity Group.
Lebanon
Increasing knowledge and awareness about economic gender-based violence will empower women who are in effect survivors of one or more facets of economic gender-based violence, such as unpaid care work. A solidarity group will contribute towards building community movements that advocate for the elimination of economic gender-based violence.
- Training of trainers on how to mobilize communities for raising awareness and eliminating economic gender-based violence.
- Create a community-based solidarity group that supports women survivors of economic gender-based violence.
- Conduct a campaign to raise awareness about economic gender-based violence.
Association Marocaine de Planification Familiale de l'Oriental.
Contribute to respect for the right of the population to a life free from violence and to a better enjoyment of the highest possible level of physical, mental and social well-being.
Morocco
Providing services directly to women in vulnerable situations, focusing on migrant women, building capacities and involving influential actors in advocacy of service providers and conducting awareness activities with influential actors will contribute to action and awareness to respecting right of all women and to live free of violence.
- Medical and psychological care and support through medical caravans in areas with low health coverage and high concentration of migrant women and women in vulnerable situations.
- Strengthening capacities of health, socio-health service providers and civil society organizations on gender-based violence.
- Liaising with influential decision-makers and community actors, such as religious leaders or actors in the family sector, for advocacy and awareness-raising activities on the social dimension of gender-based violence.
Sawa Organization - All Together Today and Tomorrow.
Training Duty-Bearers to Support Violence Survivors.
Palestine*
Public prosecutors who are better equipped in implementing victim-centred approaches during legal procedure will contribute to eliminate barriers on access to justice for victims/survivors of gender-based violence and improving effectiveness and respect for them. Trained teachers and school counsellors will be able to detect and report cases of violence against children and to support children victims/survivors.
- Training public prosecutors on the various forms of gender-based violence and how to work with survivors along the legal procedure.
- Training school counsellors and teachers on sexual exploitation, online and offline violence against women and girls, children’s rights and child protection policies.
Kadirat for parity and solidarity.
Give to single mothers means for protecting themselves from violence and improving their living conditions.
Tunisia
Providing support to single mothers through direct training, policy advocacy and public campaign will empower single mothers and works towards social and behavioural changes that stop stigmatising single mothers.
- Establishing a local network of Civil Society Organisations, influencers and local media that will work on a campaign to support single mothers.
- Providing psychological support to single mothers and training them on their rights and prevention and protection measures available for them.
- Produce a policy paper about the setting up of a shelter to assist and protect single mothers.
This project is implemented in the framework of the programme "Regional Support to Reinforce Human rights, Rule of Law and Democracy in the Southern Mediterranean" (South Programme IV), a joint initiative, financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the latter, with the objective to support democratic reforms in the Southern Mediterranean region.
The views expressed in this webpage can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union or the Council of Europe.
* This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of Council of Europe and European Union member States on this issue.