On Friday, 26 June 2026, the 8th meeting of the Regional Network for Combating Gender-Based Violence was successfully held, marking the final meeting of this year’s programme of Network activities.
The keynote speaker was Professor Sevasti Chatzifotiou, Scientific Coordinator of the “TIME TO TALK II” project, Dean of the School of Social, Political and Economic Sciences, and Professor at the Department of Social Work of Democritus University of Thrace.
The central theme of the presentation was domestic violence through the lens of intersectionality, highlighting how the multiple identities of an individual—such as disability, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, ethnic or cultural background—interact to create complex forms of discrimination and increased vulnerability for survivors of gender-based and domestic violence.
During the meeting, particular attention was given to the challenges faced by victims experiencing multiple forms of exclusion. Emphasis was placed on the need to adopt holistic and intersectional support models capable of responding to the diverse and complex needs of survivors. The importance of close cooperation among all relevant organisations was highlighted to ensure timely and equitable access to healthcare, legal assistance, psychosocial support, interpretation services and any other specialised services required to effectively protect and empower victims.
The meeting also featured examples of good practices and innovative collaborative models from several European countries and the United States, demonstrating the value of multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral approaches in preventing and addressing gender-based and domestic violence.
This meeting formed part of the project's networking, awareness-raising and professional training activities, which aim to strengthen cooperation among partner organisations and continuously improve the quality of services provided to survivors of gender-based and domestic violence.
Throughout the year, the Regional Network for Combating Gender-Based Violence has served as an important platform for the exchange of knowledge, professional experience and good practices among experts from different disciplines, contributing to the strengthening of prevention, protection and effective case management mechanisms at the regional level. The completion of this year's programme reaffirms the importance of continuous professional development and interdisciplinary collaboration in achieving a more effective response to gender-based violence.
The project “Development of Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Combating Actions – TIME TO TALK II” is implemented within the framework of the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace 2021–2027 Programme, under the priority “Social Inclusion and Combating Poverty (ESF+)”. The project is co-funded by the Euro-pean Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and forms part of the Sustainable Urban Develop-ment Strategy of the Municipality of Drama.