Discover the projects selected for funding under the European programme ‘Preventing Gender-Based Violence and Violence Against Children (PREVENT).
The initiatives focus on the legal recognition of femicide, addressing sexual harassment and gender-based violence in workplaces, and providing substantial support and empowerment to vulnerable populations, such as older women, refugees, and LGBTQ+ individuals. They also include actions to prepare children living in institutional care for independent living and empower children and youth to prevent juvenile violence.
These are just some of the 29 projects to be implemented as part of the PREVENT programme, with a total budget of €2.3 million. Specifically, 24 projects in Greece and 5 in Cyprus will receive funding, with each project granted up to €60,000. The PREVENT programme is coordinated by the Bodossaki Foundation (Greece) in consortium with the NGO Support Centre (Cyprus).
The PREVENT Programme is co-funded by the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV)* 2023-DAPHNE initiative, along with funds from the Bodossaki Foundation and the NGO Support Centre. Its goal is to prevent and combat gender-based violence and violence against children by supporting Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) active in these fields in Greece and Cyprus, and by enhancing their knowledge, capacities, and sustainability.
The selected projects address a wide range of needs and demonstrate the multifaceted social impact of the programme. They include legal and psychosocial support for children and adults who have experienced gender-based violence, policy recommendations to promote effective interventions, educational and awareness-raising initiatives, the creation of day centres for confidential support for victims and witnesses of gender-based violence, and studies documenting violence against children. Importantly, all organizations selected to implement projects involving direct contact with children have child protection policies in place, a prerequisite for application submission. Additionally, the Bodossaki Foundation and the NGO Support Centre organized informative sessions and workshops in various cities in Greece and Cyprus during the application period, including specialized training on drafting child protection policies.
The need for funding and support for projects addressing gender-based violence is urgent, as the statistics for Greece are particularly alarming. As of early 2025, the first femicide of the year has already been recorded, while 2024 was marked by 15 femicides that shocked Greek society. The number of women who are victims of domestic violence remains high, with women consistently representing three-quarters of the victims who report such incidents. Equally concerning are statistics on workplace violence and harassment. At the same time, the Council of Europe estimates that 1 in 5 children in Europe is a victim of some form of sexual violence, with numerous growing forms of child violence, including physical abuse, neglect, bullying, juvenile, domestic, sexual, and emotional or psychological violence.
For more information about the projects and the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) receiving funding, click here.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.
