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Greece - Sixth periodic report of States parties [2005] UNCEDAWSPR 16; CEDAW/C/GRC/6 (1 July 2005)

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination

against Women

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties

under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination

of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Sixth periodic report of States parties

* The present report is being issued without formal editing.

For the initial report submitted by the Government of Greece, see CEDAW/C/5/Add.28 which was considered by the Committee at its sixth session. For the combined second and third periodic report submitted by the Government of Greece, see CEDAW/C/GRC/2-3 which was considered by the Committee at its twentieth session. For the combined fourth and fifth periodic report submitted by the Government of Greece, see CEDAW/C/GRC/4-5 which was considered by the Committee at its exceptional session.

Greece*

The compilation of the 6^th National Report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women was effected with the co-operation of the following employees of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality:

Artopoulou, Susanna, Department of Publications-Events (secretarial support)

Christodoulou, Athina-Maria, Legal Advisor to the General Secretariat for Gender Equality

Dailiani, Konstantina, Department of Work and Labour Relations

Filippidou, Aspasia, Department of Social Participation, Decentralization and Regional Development

Geraki, Christina, Head, Department of Mass Media

Kakolyris, Gerasimos, Head, Law Department

Katsivardakou, Theodora, Head, Department of Social Protection and Insurance

Konstandopoulou, Ekaterini, Department of Publications-Events (secretarial support)

Lioki, Erasmia, Department of Publications-Events

Maragaki, Ekaterini, Department of Mass Media

Megalou, Anna, Directorate for Development and Information

Palaiologou, Eleni, Department of Publications-Events

Papadopoulou, Vasiliki, Department of Social Participation, Decentralization and Regional Development

Pendarchou, Konstantina, Department of Education-Training (secretarial support)

Sakareli, Sofia, Department of Social Protection and Insurance

Sarri, Stamatina-Amalia, Head, Directorate of Employment, Social Protection and Insurance

Sotiriadou, Anastasia, Head, Department of Education-Training

Tatsi, Eleni, Department of Social Protection and Insurance

Tremos, Dimosthenis, Department of Publications-Events

Vendi, Stavroula, Department of Social Protection and Insurance

Materials Co-ordination: Katsaridou, Ifigenia, General Director, Research Centre for Gender Equality

Translation into English: Megalou, Anna, Palaiologou, Eleni, Employees, General Secretariat for Gender Equality

Editing of the English Version: Megalou, Anna, Employee, General Secretariat for Gender Equality

Project Coordination and Scientific Editing: Yannakourou, Matina, Special Advisor to the Secretary General for Gender Equality, Doctor of Law

PREFACE

Greece, as a member of the U.N., has ratified the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women since 1983 (Law 1342/1983), while it has been one of the first 22 countries to ratify, in 2001, the Optional Protocol to the Convention (Law 2952/2001).

The implementation of the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women has induced the Greek State to undertake active measures and to adapt legislative and other measures aiming at the elimination of unequal treatment on the basis of sex, as well as at gradual gender mainstreaming in all policies. The compilation of National Reports to the U.N., the Observations of the competent Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, as well as the relevant discussions of the Greek delegations with the members of the Committee regarding the content of the Report, have contributed to the collection of information, the realization of the existing needs, problems and gaps in regulation. They have also contributed to the establishment of an ongoing open dialogue on issues of gender equality between the State and the international civil society.

The period covered by the 6^th Periodic Report of Greece extends from 2001 to 2004 and is defined by important institutional, legislative, jurisprudential, administrative and social developments in the field of equality between men and women.

Primarily, I would like to stress the catalytically important constitutional recognition of positive measures as a means for the achievement of real equality and the elimination of discriminations against women through the revision of the Greek constitution in 2001. I would also like to note that, by statutory regulation, in 2001 again, there was established a compulsory 1/3 minimum quota for either sex on electoral lists for local and regional government (Municipal and Prefectural elections), which constitutes an important step towards the participation of women in decision making centres.

Another field where there has been notable advancement is the systematic combating of trafficking with women victims. Following, inter alia, the Observations of the Committee for the elimination of discrimination against women, the Greek State has started, since 2001, to combat the above mentioned phenomenon in an integrated manner, regarding it as an offence which must be dealt with in a specific way. An important first step has been the establishment of the “Group Against Human Trafficking”. A tool of interministerial composition, the “Group Against Human Trafficking” promoted the change of the legislative framework and coordinated the information and sensitization of the public about the problem. In 2004, through an initiative of the Greek government, a high political level Interministerial Committee was formed, which prepared an integrated National Actions Plan against trafficking in human beings. This Programme is based on the coordination of the co-competent Ministries and covers the whole spectrum of actions related to trafficking, from locating, recognizing, fully supporting and offering shelter to the victim, issuing a temporary residence permit valid as a work permit as well, or granting voluntary repatriation according to case, to education and labour integration of the victims who remain in Greece, but also to sensitization of the population, and special training of the judiciary and the police force.

The year 2004 has also been a milestone for the emergence of the issue of all forms of violence against women as a predominant issue of social and political discussion. This emergence was accompanied by a wide information and sensitization campaign regarding domestic violence. A Working Committee, formed by initiative of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality of the Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, intends to examine all social and legal aspects related to the phenomenon of domestic violence, as well as the infrastructure necessary for the prevention and combating of domestic violence. The Committee will soon propose proper legislative measures for adoption.

At a legislative level, the Committee of the Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, in charge of revising the Code of Civil Servants (Law 2683/1989) has accepted proposals of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality concerning parental leaves for Civil Servants. The aforementioned proposals promote regulations directed towards the equal treatment of women and men; additionally they express increased care for single parent families and large families.

At an institutional level, we shall propose directly the formation, by a legislative provision, of a new national mechanism, the National Committee for the Equality between Men and Women. We conceive this Committee as a permanent tool for the dialogue between the Government, the chief organizations of the social partners and the representatives of women’s non-governmental organizations; its task will be to design and monitor gender equality policies. At the same time, our set priority is strengthening the operation of existing institutional mechanisms for gender equality, as well as diffusion of gender equality policies and actions in the Regions of the country. As we have mentioned in the discussions which took place at the 49^th U.N. Convention for the Status of Women (New York), the challenge for the governments is not to create mechanisms, but to ensure effective operation and cooperation of mechanisms, in order to be able to obtain measurable results useful as guidance in their future political actions.

A main axis of the actions promoted is the enhancement of the participation of women in employment and combating women’s unemployment, through programmes of placing women at work positions, reinforcing women’s entrepreneurship as well as helping women to obtain work experience. The detection of equality deficits in employment creates the need for positive actions in the field of enterprises, with special care for the reconciliation of family and working life.

The present Report has been the fruit of the cooperation of the Services of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality with governmental and public agencies, Independent Authorities, international organizations and non-governmental and women’s organizations, as well as independent experts. Additionally, we have incorporated in this Report, to the extent possible, valuable input from the National Commission for Human Rights, the dictum of which was asked for, according to statutory regulations.

I would like to express my deepest thanks to all who contributed, directly or indirectly, to the completion of this task, and especially to the officials of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality. I would especially like to thank Mr Yannis Ktistakis, Research Assistant, Democritus University of Thrace, for his precious advice during the preparation of the present Report, as well as the employee of the GSGE Ms Anna Megalou (BA Honours in English Language and Philology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece), for editing the English text with conscientiousness and professionalism.

We are aware that equality between men and women is not an issue that concerns women only. It is an issue that concerns the entire Greek society, since 52% of the total Greek population are women.

Greece submits the present Report in the hope that it will constitute an important instrument for the detection and elimination of existing discriminations against women, the strengthening of their rights, their effective participation in political, economic, vocational, social and cultural activity. We believe that the enhancement of women’s position within the Greek society will greatly contribute to the development, competitiveness and social cohesion of our country.

THE SECRETARY GENERAL FOR GENDER EQUALITY

EVGENIA TSOUMANI

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. The Constitutional Revision of 2001 has opened the way for real (de facto) gender equality. By provision of Article 116, paragraph 2 of the Constitution, any deviations from the principle of gender equality were abolished and the obligation of the State to take appropriate measures for the elimination of discriminations against women was established.

2. Greece has also ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (law 2952/2001).

3. At an institutional level, new institutional mechanisms have been established, as the Interministerial Committee for Gender Equality (2000), the Permanent Parliamentary Committee for Equality and Human Rights (2002) and the Office for Gender Equality in the Ministry of National Defense (2004).

4. In the field of employment and labour relations:

• The National Collective Labour Agreements of the years 2002-2004 have improved the existing legislation for employees in the private sector, as regards equality in labour relations, parental leaves, paternity leaves and other matters related to gender issues.

• Law 3227/2004 on “Measures against unemployment and other provisions” regulates further the status of working or unemployed mothers, in a favourable way.

• Law 3250/2004 boosts employment of mothers with underage children, by offering the possibility of their being employed at a 10% quota in positions of part time employment in the public sector, legal entities operating under public law, as well as in organizations of local government, in services of a social character. At the same time, it provides that a quota of up to 60% of the various categories of unemployed who benefit from such employment positions will be covered by women as long as relative interest on their side is expressed.

• Through the National Action Plan for Employment and the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion, the efforts for the elimination of exclusion of women from employment are continued both in the public and in the private sector.

• The competent Committee of the Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, in charge of the amendments in view of the revision of the Code of Civil Servants (Law 2683/1989) has accepted proposals of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality concerning parental leaves for Civil Servants. The aforementioned proposals promote full implementation of the equal treatment of women and men and express an increased care for single parent and large families.

5. In the field of social security

• Law 3029/2002 modernized the pensions system and abolished all existing differentiation on the basis of gender in old age protection.

• Law 3232/2004 provided for the first time that the divorced are entitled to a survivor’s pension and may receive part of the ex-spouse’s pension upon his/her death.

• Presidential Decree 87/2002 incorporated into Greek Law Directives 86/378/EEC and 96/97/EC for the implementation of equal treatment of men and women in systems of occupational social security. This principle will permeate the statute of any Occupational Insurance Funds established in the future.

• With the new Benefits Regulation of the Civil Servants Health Insurance Organization (OPAD), there is now no discrimination on the basis of gender, regarding persons (family) covered by a member’s insurance and entitled to medical care at the expense of the Organization.

6. In the field of agriculture

• Law 2810/2003 on “Agricultural Cooperative Organizations” amends the terms of establishment of agricultural cooperatives, favouring the participation of women in the cooperatives.

• Law 3147/2003 on the “Regulation of issues pertaining to rural land, resolution of matters concerning reinstated and reinstating stock farmers and other provisions”, improves further the terms for the participation of women in agricultural production.

• During the period 2001-2003, training programmes for 2,141 women farmers were implemented.

7. In the field of combating violence against and exploitation of women

• Law 3064/2002 against trade in human beings, which was unanimously voted for by the Greek Parliament, attempts substantial and essential interventions into the Penal Code, providing for extremely heavy sentences for perpetrators.

• Presidential Decree 233/2003 on the provision of assistance and protection to the victims of human trafficking, introduces in our country the necessary legal framework for the provision of assistance, protection and care to victims of the crimes of pandering, trafficking in human beings, human trade, paid sexual abuse of children, and slave trade. In particular, there are provisions for the protection of the victims’ life, physical integrity, personal and sexual freedom. Assistance is also provided in relation to accommodation, sustenance, medical care, psychological support, ensuring the existence of a legal advisor and an interpreter.

• a recent legislative provision (Law 3274/2004, Article 34, paragraph 7) allows issuing a temporary residence permit, valid also as a work permit, to illegal aliens who report that they are victims of trafficking and pandering. The above mentioned permit is issued for a time period of six months and extended for an equal time period and until the issuing of an irrevocable court decision regarding their allegations, following suspension of their deportation ordered by the First Instance Court Public Prosecutor and approved by the Principal Public Prosecutor.

• Since August 2004, Greece has been implementing an integrated programme of actions against trafficking in people, based on the coordination of the co-competent Ministries and covering the whole range of actions related to trafficking. This Programme was prepared by an Interministerial Committee Against Trafficking in Human Beings, formed in 2004, at a high political level, by initiative of the Ministry of Justice. In the context of this Programme, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality of the Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, places women victims of trafficking, who have received a temporary residence and work permit according to Article 34, paragraph 7 of Law 3274/2004, at work positions, in cooperation with the Greek Manpower Employment Organization, in the framework of common programmes.

8. In the field of migration/citizenship

• In 2002, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality and the Bureau of the United Nations High Commission in Greece signed a Memorandum of Co-operation, in a common effort to promote the rights of women and underage girls who have been offered asylum or have applied for asylum or have been granted humanitarian status in Greece according to the Geneva Convention of 1951 and Presidential Decree 61/1999. A result of this coordinated action has been the issuing of a circular by the Chief of the Greek Police regarding detention and the conditions of detention of people applying for asylum, wherein there is special reference to the treatment of detained women.

• From 2001 onwards, state institutions, the Bureau of the United Nations High Commission in Greece and non-governmental organizations have implemented programmes of extensive assistance to women/asylum seekers, immigrant women and women/members of vulnerable groups.

• The new Code on Greek Citizenship (law 3284/2004) abolishes any further discrimination against children of Greek or alien women.

9. In the field of education and family education

• Combating stereotypic conceptions on the role of the sexes has been a priority both for the National Action Plan of the previous period and for the National Political Priorities 2004-2008. Especially in regard to the stereotypes promoted by the Mass Media, there have been specific interventions and measures in the fields of education, culture and every expression of life, aiming at improved awareness. Emphasis has been placed on combating stereotypic conceptions through the educational process and especially in primary education, educational handbooks, enhancement of libraries and redefinition of school vocational orientation.

• For an integrated system of reconciling family and the working life of women, the operation of all-day primary schools and kindergartens has been established. Already there are 3,964 primary schools and 2,169 kindergartens operating with extended working hours.

10. In the field of women’s participation in decision making centres

• Law 2839/2000 provides for the participation of a quota of at least 1/3 of each gender in the departmental boards and collective bodies of public organizations and Local Administration Organizations (OTA).

• Law 2910/2001 provides for the participation of a quota of 1/3 of each gender on the electoral lists for the Prefectural and Municipal elections.

11. For the forthcoming period (2004-2008), the Greek government has adopted an integrated and cohesive strategic intervention, aiming at illustrating both the national importance and the supra-national dimension of gender equality issues. In the present situation, these two parameters render the promotion of such issues a national priority, above any political differences. The main aim of this intervention is to disengage gender equality issues from the category of marginal and “special” issues and to stress their political, economic, social and developmental character, through their direct connection to prevailing national priorities (development, employment, social cohesion). The achievement of this goal requires a complete understanding of the fact that women constitute more than half of the Greek population (52%) and face severe obstacles in their social and economic integration.

CONTENTS

Note by the Secretariat: The Annexes and Appendix to the present report will be made available to the members of the Committee in the language in which they were received.

NATIONAL POLICY PRIORITIES AND AXES OF ACTION FOR GENDER EQUALITY

(2004-2008)

I. DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW POLITICAL STRATEGY

1. Following the political changeover of 1974 in Greece, important advances have been achieved in the field of gender equality. The contribution of the 1975 Constitution has been undeniable, since it guaranteed, for the first time, the principle of gender equality (Article 4, paragraph 2) as an aspect of the general principle of equality. This provision opened the way for promoting equal treatment of men and women in legislative sub-fields regarding family, education, labour relations and social security. Important progress towards actual (de facto) gender equality was made with the provision of Article 116, paragraph 2, which was introduced in the 2001 Constitutional revision. With this provision, any deviations from the principle of gender equality were eliminated and the responsibility of the State to take special positive measures for the elimination of any discrimination against women was established.

This development, in the achievement of which the role of Greek women’s organizations has been important, has aligned Greece with the international acquis and the acquis communautaire. In this way it has strengthened the position already held by international bodies, that the realization of the principle of gender equality, through a shift towards equality of opportunity, constitutes the actualization of social rights and the principle of the social state, in accordance to respect and protection of human rights.

At a European level, the provisions of the draft Constitutional Treaty of the European Union institutionally strengthen equality, which is generally conceived as a value of the Union, while, more specifically, the promotion of gender equality remains one of the Union’s aims as has already been established in the Amsterdam Treaty. One of the most significant innovations of the European Constitution, the incorporation of the E.U. Charter of Fundamental Rights in its main body as legally binding for the institutions and instruments of the Union as well as for member states, contributes substantially to the promotion of women’s rights. Moreover, the horizontal dimension of gender equality and the elimination of gender-based discrimination permeating the profiling and implementation of all E.U. policies up to now are constitutionally established.

2. The National Action Plan for Equality 2001-2006 was implemented during the 2001-2004 period (up till March 2004, when the country underwent a change of Government). The main aim of the Programme was the modernization of social standards, targeting at full utilization of human resources regardless of sex and the elimination of any form of discrimination against women. The principal instrument for the implementation of the principle of gender equality is gender mainstreaming.

The main axes of this Programme have been the following:

• Gender equality in economic life.

• Equal participation and representation in the political, social and economic sectors.

• Equal access to the implementation of social rights for men and women.

• Change of the roles and stereotypes of the sexes.

The policies adopted and the measures and actions promoted in the period covered by the present Report have resulted from the implementation of the above-mentioned Programme.

3. For the forthcoming period (2004-2008), Greece has begun developing an integrated and cohesive strategic intervention, aiming to stress both the national importance and the supra-national dimension of gender equality issues. In the present situation, these two parameters render the promotion of such issues a national priority, above any political differences.

The main aim of this intervention is to disengage gender equality issues from the category of marginal and “special” issues and to stress their political, economic, social and developmental character, through their direct connection to prevailing national priorities (development, employment, social cohesion). The achievement of this aim requires a complete understanding of the fact that women constitute more than half of the Greek population (52%) and face severe obstacles in their social and economic integration. It is not therefore acceptable to regard them, in the field of policies, as a “special” or “vulnerable” social category, a characterization which erroneously points to a special, disadvantaged group. Since women constitute the majority of the Greek population, increased initiative towards taking measures to facilitate services for women citizens is deemed necessary.

4. In Greece, issues of gender equality are discussed mainly from the viewpoint of civil and social rights, which of course constitutes an important dimension. However, the importance attached to the political and economic dimension of such issues providing additional arguments for the necessity of promoting those rights, has not been adequate.

5. The Political Dimension

Today, it is easily understood that issues of equality are political issues par excellence, included in the daily agenda of the E.U. and all International Organizations, such as the U.N., the Council of Europe, and the International Labour Office. From the viewpoint of establishing the rights of women as an integral part of human rights, equality issues comprise the basis for devising international indicators to measure the level of a country’s development and prosperity. The international rating of countries on the basis of their level of development (e.g. according to the Human Development Index –HDI- of the U.N.) takes mainly into consideration data concerning the establishment and implementation of women’s rights, as well as children’s rights.

6. The Economic Dimension

At E.U. level in recent years, gender equality has also been regarded from the viewpoint of its economic importance as a productive factor, due to its connection to the demographic problem and the labour market on the one hand, and social cohesion on the other, as well as its connection to the view of the family as a productive unit.

Since as early as 1997, when the European Strategy for Employment was adopted, and afterwards with the targets set by the Lisbon Procedure in 2000, the equality of opportunities between men and women began to be regarded as an economic issue as well, in connection to the quantitative improvement of women’s participation to employment and the labour market, as an element of the competitiveness of the European economy and, as a result, of the national economies of the member States. As in the framework of the new demographic data the economically active population of the European Union is continually shrinking, it has become evident that, if the European Union wishes to remain competitive, it must utilize fully the totality of its labour force implementing policies to facilitate, in particular, groups which face difficulties in their integration to the labour market. Setting the target of women’s employment percentage to 60% for the year 2010 is expected to contribute decisively to the development of overall employment which the European Union needs to secure its developmental future and maintain its prosperity and its social systems.

The integration of women -usually comprising the majority of the population- in political, economic, professional and social activity, on equal terms to men as regards rights, obligations and opportunities, ensures a more representative participation of the whole society, achieving in this way wider social cohesion. In particular, the promotion of equal access and development of the two sexes in the labour market ensures fairer wealth distribution, as well as better distribution of human resources, contributing at the same time to the alleviation of social exclusion and poverty. Moreover, the development of policies facilitating the integration of women belonging to specific cultural or minority groups into the labour market, in addition to respecting diversity and multiculturalism, reduces social exclusion enhancing at the same time social cohesion, which in turn, is a lever for economic development. Therefore, viewed in this way also, equality acquires economic and political importance.

Finally, the entry of women into economic life has a further positive impact, namely the increase of household income thus favouring demand and consumption of goods and services, as well as saving and investment. In other words, the strengthening of women’s employment contributes both to the improvement of the living standard of households through the inflow of additional income sources and to the reinforcement of the productive circuit, through the increase of the effective demand for goods and services. Therefore, the utilization of the female labour force constitutes a main prerequisite for the economic viability of households, as well as the economic growth of a region or even the entire country.

The Summit for Employment on November 1997 in Luxembourg recognized, for the first time at a political level, that the equality of opportunity is a matter not only of social justice, but also of economic importance. Recently, in the Presidency Conclusions of the Brussels European Council (March 2004) it has been explicitly recognized that “gender equality policies are instruments of social cohesion as well as of growth”.

Taking into consideration the above arguments, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality regards the issue of gender equality not as a “women’s issue” but as an issue that is important to and concerns society as a whole. The General Secretariat for Gender Equality underlines the need of handling the gender equality issue in terms of equity, not discrimination.

II. MEANS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLITICAL STRATEGY

7. In the context of the above-mentioned arguments, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality intends to base its strategic intervention on the following means:

• The promotion of gender mainstreaming in all instruments, policies and actions of Greece.

• The undertaking of special actions in the following sectors, which will be put forward as priority sectors:

A. Combating the equality deficit in labour relations and the labour market.

B. Preventing and combating family violence and human trafficking, the victims of which are women.

C. Combating stereotyped conceptions regarding the role of the sexes within the educational process, especially in primary education.

D. Strengthening of women’s participation in decision making centres

In all instances where the General Secretariat for Gender Equality will promote positive action within the framework of Article 116, paragraph 2 of the Constitution, this will be done in terms of restoring equality, not in terms of imposing discrimination.

• Social dialogue with social partners, including the trade-unions of civil servants and farmers. The General Secretariat for Gender Equality conceives social dialogue as a means of strategic planning and monitoring of the implementation of social and economic policies, which is in accordance to the Communications and Recommendations of the European Commission and the Conclusions of the Spring European Councils.

• Gradual promotion of proactive legislation forms, in sectors where this proves more effective than reactive legislation, such as labour relations and the labour market sector. Today, proactive legislation constitutes the dominant trend in E.U. countries. It imposes mild obligations on the social partners and business enterprises within certain time margins, through co-operation and the development of partnership relations, offering in return incentives and premiums for positive results.

• Dialogue, both among political parties and with non-governmental organizations that are active in the field of promoting gender equality. The importance of the role of NGOs has significantly increased, since many of them have developed networks and constitute an important source of experience and know-how, while at the same time they act as channels that diffuse information about Community and National policies and actions to the citizens.

• The Community Support Framework remains the main financing means of intervention (through Sectoral and Regional Operational Programmes), together with Community Initiatives and other Community Programmes.

Article 1

For the purposes of the present Convention, the term "discrimination against women" shall mean any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.

In light of Article 116 paragraph 2 of the revised Constitution and Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Council of State (Third Division) has ruled that deviations from the principle of gender equality constitute discriminations against women^[1]. Taking positive measures for the elimination of discriminations mainly against women for the effective implementation of the principle of gender equality in all sectors, far from constituting discrimination, constitutes an obligation^[2].

I. REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION

1. The Greek Constitution was revised in 2001. Two of the revised provisions concern issues of gender equality:

a) The new Article 116 paragraph 2 of the revised Constitution no longer provides for deviations from the gender equality principle. On the contrary, it explicitly stipulates that the State is obliged to take specific positive measures for the elimination of discriminations mainly against women, aiming at the effective implementation of the gender equality principle in all sectors^[3].

b) The new Article 31 paragraph 1 of the Constitution stipulates that to be eligible for election to the Presidency of the Republic, a person must be of Greek descent from the father’s or mother’s line^[4].

II. EMPLOYMENT

2. The National Collective Labour Agreements of the years 2002-2004 have improved the existing legislation concerning private sector employees, as far as labour relations equality, parental leaves, paternal leaves and other issues related to gender are concerned.

In particular:

• The National Collective Labour Agreement of the years 2002-2003 has established the following:

• The right for late arrival at or early departure from work (by one hour per day) of the mother or alternatively the father for reasons pertaining to childcare, for 30 months (instead of 24 months), after the confinement leave. Alternatively, after an agreement with the employer, working hours may be reduced by two hours daily for the first 12 months and by one hour for 6 more months (previously, working hours could be reduced for 12 months only and by two hours per day).

• For the first time, the employee is entitled to a two-day paid leave in the case of death of kin, up to the second degree.

• Additional paid annual leave of 6 days for widowed parents or single parent families. The single parent family leave may not coincide with the end or the beginning of the regular paid annual leave and it applies to parents with children up to the age of 12. For three or more children in the family, the parent’s leave comes up to 8 days.

• With the National Collective Labour Agreement of the years 2004-2005 the following have been established:

• Regarding reduced working hours due to nursing and childcare as stated in Article 9 of the General National Collective Labour Agreement of the year 1993, the employee has the right to apply alternatively for equal time of adjoining paid leave, within the time period during which he/she is entitled to reduced working time due to childcare. This type of alternative leave presupposes the employer’s accord and is given in a one-off form or in parts; it begins at the end of the confinement leave, that is, 9 weeks after childbirth.

• The natural or adoptive parents of a child up to the age of sixteen (16) years, who suffers by a disease which requires transfusions of blood and its derivatives or hemodialysis, are entitled to an additional leave of 10 working days annually. This is a paid leave and both parents are entitled to it; it supplements the leave they are entitled to according to other provisions.

3. Discriminations against women regarding their admission to the military academies are repealed. (law 2913/2001).

4. Law 3103/2003 abolishes the set quota concerning the admission of women to the Police Academy. Also, law 3113/2003 abolishes the respective provision (laws 2622/1998 and 2838/2000) regarding the recruitment of women as border guards. A competition conducted (2001), according to the previous legal provisions, for the Ministry of Public Order, concerning the recruitment of Border Guards, set a quota of 90% men recruits and 10% women. In 2003, the third Division of the Council of State^[5] ruled that setting a quota that disadvantages women clashes to Articles 4 and 116, paragraph 2 of the Constitution. The matter is pending at the plenum of the Council of State.

5. Law 3227/2004 on “Measures against unemployment and other provisions”, stipulates, inter alia, the following:

• Employers who hire employees on a fixed-term contract to replace women employees who are on pregnancy or confinement leave are subsidized, for the duration of the women employees’ leave, with a sum equal to their insurance contribution liability for the insurance coverage of the hired employees.

• As an incentive for the recruitment of unemployed mothers of at least two children, the employer is subsidized with a sum equal to his/her insurance contribution liability for the insurance coverage of the hired mothers. The duration of the subsidization is one year for each child of the hired mother.

• For every child born to them after the first child, women farmers, insured in the farmers’ main insurance branch (law 2458/1997), are exempted from their contribution liability towards the Agricultural Insurance Organization (O.G.A) as regards contributions towards old age pension and sickness insurance as well as contributions towards the Farmers’ Union Fund for one year after the birth of each child apart from the first child.

6. Law 3174/2003, part time employment was expanded in the public sector, legal entities operating under public law and Local Government Organizations, to cover needs relating to provision of services of social character to citizens. By the term services of social character is understood services related to social care, keeping of school buildings, road safety for students, taking care of environmental needs, social inclusion of immigrants etc. This law aimed at boosting employment for vulnerable population groups, among which were included, as a special category, mothers with children up to 12 years of age, at a quota of 10%.

By law 3250/2004, the categories of people eligible for recruitment were redefined, through the addition of members of large families and the enlargement of the category of mothers with underage children (the limit of 12 years regarding the age of the children was abolished), without change in the quota of 10%. At the same time, law 3250 provided that a quota of up to 60% of the various categories of unemployed who benefit from such employment positions is covered by women as long as relative interest on their side is expressed.

III. SOCIAL SECURITY

7. Law 3029/2002 modernized old age pension schemes and abolished any existing gender based differentiation in old age social protection. In particular:

• Mothers affiliated to the IKA-TEAM (Social Insurance Fund – Employee’s Supplementary Insurance Fund, the largest Insurance Fund in Greece) who give birth after 1/1/2003 or, if the right is not exercised by mothers, then fathers, can have a fictitious insurance period recognized, in order to fulfill the conditions for a minimum insurance period and be entitled to pension rights. Particularly, the fictitious insurance period recognized in the case of the mother or father of children who were born from the above mentioned date on, is one (1) year for the first child, 1 and ½ for the second and 2 years for the third child (a total of 4 and ½ years or 1,350 insurance days).

• On completion of 37 years or 11,100 working days both men and women employees affiliated to IKA-TEAM and Special Funds (e.g. TAP-OTE -Hellenic Organization of Telecommunications Personnel Insurance Fund-, OAP-DEI –Public Power Corporation Personnel Insurance Organization-, Banks’ Insurance Funds etc) are entitled to old age benefits, irrespective of age.

• For men affiliated to Special Funds the age for pension entitlement was reduced by two years and therefore harmonized with the age for pension entitlement for women, so that, the people insured to those Funds (irrespective of sex) who became affiliated to any main insurance Fund from 1/1/1983 to 31/12/1992 may be entitled to old age pension when they reach their 58^th year of age or 35 years of insurance.

8. Law 3232/2004 introduces the provision that those who are divorced may receive part of the pension of the deceased ex-husband or wife and they are entitled to survivor’s pension. The main requirements are:

• The person divorced must be at his or her 65^th year of age or incapable for employment at a percentage of 67% or more.

• Also, the person divorced must have had 15 years of married life before an irrevocable court decision of divorce.

• The ex- husband or wife must, at the time of death, be paying alimony, determined either by court order or by a contract between the ex-spouses.

• The divorce cannot have resulted by severe damage to married life caused by the applicant for survivor’s pension.

• A subsequent marriage (by the applicant for the survivor’s pension) must not exist.

• The total annual personal taxable income must not exceed the amount of annual pension paid to uninsured old people by O.G.A. (Agricultural Insurance Organization).

The amount of pension that the divorced person is entitled to is determined as follows:

• In the case of death of the ex- husband or wife, the amount of pension that the widowed ex-spouse is entitled to is allocated to the widowed person and the divorced person at 70% and 30% respectively. If married life had lasted 25 years or more, then the amount of pension of the widowed person is allocated to the widowed person and the divorced person at 60% and 40% respectively.

• In the case of more than one beneficiaries, the pension amount (according to the above mentioned percentages) is shared equally between them.

9. The same law (3232/2004) introduces old age benefits by the main insurance Funds (which are the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection) for insured mothers of children with 80% percent disability, or more, as well as insured spouses of disabled people with a disability percentage of 80% or more, irrespective of age, after 7,500 days of work or 25 years of insurance. Spouses who make use of the provision, are also required to have completed 10 years of married life on the day when they apply for a pension.

IV. HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE

10. Law 3089/2002 on “medical support to human reproduction”, provides the terms and requirements for artificial insemination and allows unmarried women to have children in this manner.

11. With the new Benefits Regulation of the Civil Servants Health Insurance Organization (OPAD) ^[6], there is now no discrimination on the basis of gender, regarding persons (family) covered by the member’s insurance and entitled to medical care at the expense of the Organization.

12. By implementation of law 3163/2002, the National Centre of Emergency Social Care (E.K.A.K.V.) has been converted into an independent institution, operating under Public Law (N.P.D.D.), based in Athens, under the supervision and control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The E.K.A.K.V. aims at extending its services to all parts of Greece, by creating a network of structures and human resourses which will cover, among all else, emerging new needs, such as those related to victims of human trafficking and abused women^[7].

V. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

13. Law 3064/2002 regulates combating human trafficking, crimes against sexual freedom, child pornography and, generally, financial exploitation of sexual life^[8]. In particular this law:

• Takes into consideration not only human trade but also modern forms of human trafficking and specifically, trafficking which aims at a) labour exploitation and b) sexual exploitation of human beings. Most of the related offences are characterized as felonies.

• Establishes severe sentences, which in certain cases may even provide for life imprisonment for related offences. It ensures equal protection for men and women in such matters.

• Stipulates that serious criminal offences are prosecuted ex proprio motu.

• Stipulates, for the first time, that child pornography is an offence.

• Defines sexual abuse commited by a paying adult against a child as a discreet case as compared to ordinary seduction.

• Adds to Article 8 of the Penal Code (Regulations for Global Justice) the offences of human trade and sexual abuse so that these are punishable even when commited abroad.

• Defines as an offence the deliberate acceptance of services rendered by victims of human trafficking.

• Provides for the protection of victims of such crimes. Concerning assistance towards victims of such crimes, Presidential Decree 233/2003^[9] has been issued.

14. According to a recent law provision (paragraph 7, Article 34 of law 3274/2004) victims of human trafficking are entitled to a residence and work permit for a time period of six months, after which their permit may be extended for an equal period of time, until the issuing of an irrevocable court decision.

VI. PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN DECISION MAKING CENTRES

15. Law 2839/2000 stipulates that both genders will participate, at a quota of 1/3 at least for each, in departmental boards of public administration services and collective managing bodies of public organizations and Local Administration Organizations^[10].

16. The subsequent law 2910/2001 stipulates participation of 1/3 of each gender as candidates for the Prefectural and Municipal Elections. With a series of decisions, the Council of State (Supreme Administrative Court) has judged that the above mentioned provision is in accordance to the Constitution (revised Article 116, paragraph 2 of the Constitution)^[11].

VII. NATIONALITY AND CITIZENSHIP

17. Recent law 3284/2004, regarding the Code on Greek citizenship, abolishes all old provisions, which created issues of discrimination against women^[12].

VIII. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

18. Greece has been one of the first 22 States to sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, on 10^th December 1999. Greece ratified this Protocol by law 2952/2001.

IX. HARMONIZATION OF NATIONAL LAW WITH COMMUNITY LAW

19. By Presidential Decree 105/2003, the Greek legal order has adjusted to the provisions of directive 97/80/EEC about the importance of proof in cases of differential treatment based on sex.

20. By Presidential Decree 41/2003, the provisions of Presidential Decree 176/97 were supplemented to adjust Greek law to the provisions of 92/85/EEC “on the introduction of measures that encourage improvements in the health and safety at work of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding”, as follows:

• Its application is extended to the uniformed staff of the armed forces and to domestic service staff.

• The provisions of Article 2 of Presidential Decree 176/97, regarding the implementation of the Decree, are supplemented as concerns the adoption of positive measures by the employer in favour of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding.

• Articles 8 (maternity leave) and 11 (rights pertaining to the employment agreement) are replaced.

21. Presidential Decree 87/2002 incorporated into Greek Law the Directives 86/378/EEC and 96/97/EC for the implementation of the principle of equal treatment of men and women in systems of occupational social security. This principle will permeate the statute of any Occupational Insurance Funds established in the future.

X. NATIONAL MECHANISMS FOR THE PROMOTION OF GENDER EQUALITY

22. The Interministerial Committee for Gender Equality was established by order of the Prime Minister^[13]. The task of the Committee, among others, is:

• To make decisions regarding the advancement of the national policy on gender equality, in the context of European Union and International Organizations guidelines, aiming at gender mainstreaming in all policies.

• To coordinate ministries and public sector operators in connection to the elaboration of policies and actions for women on a central, regional and local level.

• The Interministerial Committee prepared and compiled the National Action Programme for Gender Equality of the 2001-2006 period.

23. A Permanent Parliamentary Committee for Equality and Human Rights^[14] has been in operation since 2002, in the context of the proceedings of the Greek Parliament. The Committee focuses on study, research and proposals regarding the promotion of the gender equality principle in education, family and other social institutions, as well as its being guaranteed and implemented by Public Administration, especially in employment matters and matters pertaining to respecting and protecting human rights, according to Articles 4, paragraph 2 and 116, paragraph 2 of the Constitution.

24. Presidential Decree 39/2004, established the Office for Gender Equality at the Headquarters of the Minister of National Defense^[15]. The Office’s mission is a) to collect, manage and process data and information, according to statutory regulations, on matters regarding gender equality in the military personnel of the Greek armed forces, as well as of the armed forces of other member states of the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other International Organizations b) to formulate institutional proposals and promote the necessary measures for the implementation of the gender equality principle in matters pertaining to the military personnel of the country’s armed forces and c) to cooperate with the General Secretariat for Gender Equality and the General Headquarters and all other departments of the Ministry of National Defense, regarding matters of gender equality.

• In the context of the function of the above mentioned Office, the military personnel of the armed forces can refer hierarchically to the Office for Gender Equality for any problems which might arise in their daily life in the force and are related to gender equality.

XI. LEGAL ASSISTANCE

25. Law 3226/2004 “About the provision of legal assistance to low-income citizens”, provides, among others, the following:

• Low-income citizens of any member state of the European Union are entitled to legal assistance. Low-income citizens of third countries and foreign nationals are also entitled to legal assistance under the condition that they have legal residence or habitual residence in the European Union.

• Low income citizens entitled to legal assistance are those whose annual income does not exceed two thirds of the lowest annual individual earnings, as defined in the General National Collective Labour Agreement. In cases of family differences or dispute, the income of the person with whom the differences or the dispute is held, is not taken into consideration.

26. As concerns legal information and consultation for women, the Research Centre for Gender Equality –K.E.TH.I.- (an institution operating under public law, supervised by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality) offers this type of services free of charge, aiming at strengthening and empowering women at exercising their rights. From January 2000 until August 2004, the Consultation Centres of the K.E.TH.I. (Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion and Volos) received 6,715 applications from women seeking legal advice and held 11,868 meetings with women (either in person or on the telephone).

27. In the framework of Community Programmes, the K.E.TH.I., in collaboration with bar associations, launched (from July 2000 until March 2003) a programme titled: “Equal rights: From legislation to every day practice”, in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion and Volos. In the context of this programme, training seminars for new lawyers were organized, concerning:

- Constitutional gender equality – European Union policy

- Equal pay – equal treatment

- Family violence, rape, sexual harassment at the place of work

- Legal assistance – institutional framework and practice

• Moreover, in the context of the above programme, the Research Centre for Gender Equality, in collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality and the Employment Inspectorate, has organized seminars for employment inspectors in Athens and Thessaloniki, concerning:

- European policies for gender equality

- Equal treatment – equal pay at the place of work (developments in national and community law – jurisprudence)

- Provisions implementation control by the Employment Inspectorate

- Protecting maternity and facilitating workers with family responsibilities

- Protection of the health and safety of working women

- Sexual harassment at the place of work

• The programme was financed by the European Union by 60% and by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality by 40%.

• After the termination of these programmes and until the promulgation of law 3226/2004 : “About the provision of legal assistance to low-income citizens” (February 2004), the K.E.TH.I. continued to finance and support the institution of free legal information and consultation services through its regular budget, as it fulfilled a pressing social need of financially weak women. In collaboration with bar associations in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion and Volos, women facing severe social and financial problems managed, with the assistance offered to them by the K.E.TH.I., to bring their cases before a Court of Justice. In total, 237 cases were supported in Court.

XII. THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

28. Law 2810/2003 on “Agricultural Cooperative Organizations” amends the terms of establishment of agricultural cooperatives, favouring the participation of women in the cooperatives.^[16]

29. Law 3147/2003 on the “Regulation of issues pertaining to rural land, resolution of matters concerning reinstated and reinstating stock farmers and other provisions”, improves further the terms for the participation of women in agricultural production^[17].

Article 4

1. Adoption by States Parties of temporary special measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between men and women shall not be considered discrimination as defined in the present Convention, but shall in no way entail as a consequence the maintenance of unequal or separate standards; these measures shall be discontinued when the objectives of equality of opportunity and treatment have been achieved.

2. Adoption by States Parties of special measures, including those measures contained in the present Convention, aimed at protecting maternity shall not be considered discriminatory.

POSITIVE MEASURES FOR WOMEN IN THE GREEK LEGAL ORDER

1. By the last revision of the Greek Constitution, paragraph 2 of Article 116 has been amended and as a result, deviations from the principle of gender equality have been eliminated; it is now explicitly provided that the state is required to adopt special positive measures for the elimination of discriminations mainly against women^[18].

2. The implementation of the above was put to the test in the recent Municipal and Prefectural elections in Greece. It is reminded that law 2910/2001 provides that a share of 1/3 of participation for each gender as candidates is obligatory in the Municipal and Prefectural elections.

3. With a series of decisions, the third Division of the Council of State has judged that the provisions made by law 2910/2001^[19] are in accord with the Constitution. More specifically, the supreme administrative court of the country has judged, in principle, the following:

The provisions of Articles 4 paragraph 2 and 5 paragraph 1 of the Constitution establish the principle of gender equality regarding access to public office, including elective public office in Local Authorities. However, for an unhindered and effective implementation of the aforementioned principle, paragraph 2 of Article 116 of the Constitution, construed in combination with the provision of paragraph 1, Article 25 of the Constitution, compels the legislator, common or regulatory, as well as the other instruments of the State, when they have ascertained that there have indubitably existed, in practice, discriminations against women, such that the unwavering implementation of the principle of gender equality regarding access to public office results in equality in name only, while, in essence, it consolidates and perpetuates an existing unequal situation, to take (with additional imposition of relative legal or regulatory provisions) respective positive measures in favour of women, which are suitable and necessary, for a specific period of time, in order to reduce the existing inequalities until actual gender equality regarding access to public office is established.

4. The Council of State has also noted that neither by the letter of the provision of paragraph 2, Article 116 of the Constitution nor by the preparatory work before it was put to the vote can the specific form which the positive measures may take be deduced, or the specific areas, such as the areas of human, social and political rights, at which these measures are allowed, be established. Therefore, for the construe of this constitutional provision, the following must be taken into consideration:

a) the aforementioned absence of definition regarding the areas in which it is deemed necessary to take positive measures

b) its purpose is establishment of positive measures towards the achievement of the greatest possible positive effect regarding equal access of women and men to public office, such as elective public office in Local Authorities.

c) the international commitment of Greece to ensure, also by taking positive measures, the exercise and enjoyment by women, on an equal basis with men, of all human, social and political rights (see Articles 1, 3, 4, 7 and 24 of the U.N.O. 1979 International Convention on “Elimination of all Discrimination against Women”, ratified by the Greek Parliament by law 1342/1983) as well as

d) the well known fact of under-representation of women in the area of political action, in the broader sense, which is connected to the exercise of their political rights.

5. Therefore, the Council of the State concludes, with paragraph 2 of Article 116 of the Constitution,

“The constitutional legislator intended to allow the establishment of positive measures of any form in all areas of action of the two sexes, that is, in the areas of human and social rights, as well as in the area of political rights, under the obvious prerequisite that the established positive measures do not entail excessive restrictions which affect the core of human and political rights which they concern”.

Article 5

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures: (a) To modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and customary and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority or the superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women;

(b) To ensure that family education includes a proper understanding of maternity as a social function and the recognition of the common responsibility of men and women in the upbringing and development of their children, it being understood that the interest of the children is the primordial consideration in all cases.

A. THE ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN THE ELIMINATION OF STEREOTYPES

I. GENERAL GUIDELINES

1. The Mass Media are an important means of diffusing social messages but also of influencing social consciousness regarding the position and the roles of the sexes in Greek society. The National Action Plan for Gender Equality (2001-2006) of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization included measures and actions that aim to change the stereotyped roles of the sexes. In particular, as far as the stereotypes promoted by the Mass Media are concerned, it includes specific interventions and awareness measures in the fields of education, culture and every expression of life.

II. RESEARCH – STUDIES CONCERNING THE ROLE OF MASS MEDIA

2. During the time period 2001/2002, the Research Centre for Gender Equality (K.E.TH.I.), an institution supervised by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, carried out relative surveys and studies. In particular, the following surveys and studies were carried out:

• “Gender and the Mass Media: Targeted field survey”. It was carried out in 2001, by initiative of the Research Centre for Gender Equality which also financed the project, and it was assigned to the Department of Communication and Mass Media, Communication Sector (Laboratory of Rhetoric and Discourse) of the Panteion University of Athens and the Centre for Women Studies and Research (a non-profit Society). The final beneficiary of the survey in question was the Research Centre for Gender Equality. The findings of the survey showed that the Greek Mass Media are still susceptible to stereotypic thinking based on gender inequality. In particular, the dominant social representation through the mass media has in its core the traditional models and roles of the sexes.

• “Gender and the Mass Media. A Review Study”. It was carried out in 2001, by initiative of the Research Centre for Gender Equality, which also financed the project. The final beneficiary of the survey in question was the Research Centre for Gender Equality. Through this bibliographic review it was ascertained that study concerning the presentation of gender through the Mass Media, is now based on “new” speculations and assumptions about gender, the relation of the spectator to the Media, the role of the media in everyday life. The study of gender and the Mass Media has not developed systematically in Greece. The proposals for future study on the subject aim at correlating the Greek projects to international bibliography and the study of issues which are immediately related to the Greek reality. The proposals emphasize the study of gender and new technologies as well as other matters, which have not up to now received any special scientific attention. They also aim at the identification of and investigation into the experience of women in Greece (especially women belonging to minority groups, because of age, race, social class, religion, nationality or sexual orientation) as well as individuals with different, non-heterosexual sexual orientation. The same study also shows that stereotypic and preconceived ideas are still promoted. The domination of men in the Mass Media and, respectively, the limited representation of women –as employees- in them, contribute to hindering change in social standards.

3. The Research Centre for Gender Equality has also contributed to the realization of other research/studies concerning the role of the Mass Media in the elimination of stereotypes^[20].

III. CODE OF ETHICS IN THE MASS MEDIA

4. In Greece, the main legal framework for the operation of the broadcasting media is defined by the basic legislation (law 2328/95, Article 3, paragraph 3, in combination with Presidential Decree 100/2000), according to which advertising spots must not introduce discrimination based on race, gender, religion or nationality.

5. In particular, the code of ethics of news and other journalistic and political broadcasts^[21] makes the following relative provisions:

Article 4 – Unfavourable Discriminations

1. It is not allowed to present people in a manner which, under the circumstances at hand, may encourage debasement, social exclusion or unfavourable discriminations against them by the public, on the basis of mainly gender, race, nationality, language, religion, ideology, age, illness or disability, sexual orientation or occupation.

6. Additionally in the Code for Advertising, Telesales Programmes and Sponsoring of Broadcasts, which is being prepared by the Greek National Council for Radio and Television, the following provisions are included:

Article 3 – General Principles

A broadcast advertisement must not:

a) be at variance with respect for human dignity nor use the human body in a degrading manner, as a means for the sale of goods or services.

b) introduce discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion or nationality, or encourage sexist and racist standards.

7. The Code of Ethics for Journalists, which includes the principles of the Professional Ethics and Social Responsibility of journalists–members of the Journalists’ Union of the Athens Daily Newspapers (E.S.I.E.A.), inter alia, provides the following:

Article 2

Journalism, as a profession and social function entails rights, duties and obligations.

The journalist has the right and obligation:

a) To treat citizens on equal terms, without discriminations on the basis of national origin, gender, race, religion, political affiliation, financial situation and social status.

Article 4

(...) c. not to exercise or accept any form of discrimination regarding gender or professional seniority of his/her colleagues.

8. The Athens Daily Newspaper Publishers’ Association (E.I.I.E.A.), in Article 7 of the Draft Code of Honor (based on the Code of the World Association of Newspapers (W.A.N.) proposes equal treatment for the sexes. In particular:

1. The Press must not adopt positions that constitute direct and blatant violation of the fundamental rights or constitute a flagrant negative discrimination against groups of people, on the basis of gender, nationality, race, religious practices and ideological beliefs, as well as sexual preferences of the individuals comprising these groups.

IV. MASS MEDIA RELATED ACTIONS OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

9. Non-governmental Women’s Organizations interested in promoting issues of gender equality, contribute substantially, through actions and initiatives (organizing seminars, events, conferences, periodical publications) to changing the ideas, biases, and stereotypes in Greek society and to protecting human dignity and the image of the contemporary Greek woman in the mass media. The General Secretariat for Gender Equality has continual co-operation with women’s NGOs regarding the above actions and the improvement of the image of the Greek woman as it is represented through the mass media. Among other activities of the NGOs:

• The non-governmental Organization European Network of Greek women Journalists (EDED), the aim of which is, inter alia, to promote equality of opportunities for women journalists, has participated, during the period 2000-2004, in a substantial number of E.U. Programmes with respective actions, aiming at informing women about new opportunities. In particular, the NOW Initiative had to do with training unemployed women journalists on new technologies and the Internet. The EDED took part as leader, together with partners from Italy, Spain, Greece, DEPKA (Municipal Enterprise for Cultural and Social Development) and the Journalists’ Union of Provincial Daily Newspapers, in the programme “So now you know...”, during which a number of Conferences were held. In the context of the said Programme, the EDED ordered a survey, assigning the task to VPRC Company. The survey was carried out in 2002 and its aim was to poll the opinion of Greek men and women journalists regarding their profession and the quality of the information provided in Greece.

In this survey, inter alia, it is reported that (page 2): “The journalist profession is dominated by men (58.7%) while the number of women is considerably smaller (41.3%). The majority of the reporters today does not belong to any Union or Organization of Journalists (52.1%)”

The most urgent problems journalists have to face today are the occupational disorderliness (page 6) that reigns in the field (exhausting working hours, employer’s arbitrariness, non-insured labour etc.) and low emolument. For women journalists the problem of low pay (30.7%) and occupational disorderliness (27.4%), constitute the gravest problems.

Regarding matters of equality in the journalist profession, the survey reports, among other things, that (page 8, paragraph 1) there are many women journalists who believe that the fact they are women constitutes or has constituted a drawback in their professional development (32.7%). A 36.2 share of women claim they have been subjected to financial and occupational discriminations, because of their gender. Both men and women journalists, at an equal percentage (42.2% and 42.9% respectively) believe that in their profession there is no equality of opportunities as far as their development is concerned.

Considerable difference has been noted, between the opinions of men and women journalists, concerning a series of ideas and conclusions about their occupation (page 9, paragraph 7).

Substantial deviation has been observed between the opinions of men and women regarding managerial ability/ability for group coordination, foresight, communicating abilities, wit, synthesizing abilities, boldness in promoting innovation, practical disposition, competitiveness.

It can be concluded that today, in the journalist profession, one can observe a strong, secondary “clash” between the genders. The different positions regarding the profession as well as a different impulsive ideological approach to a series of issues, leads to the conclusion that the female component of the journalist profession is discreet, or, to be exact, potentially discreet.

• The non-governmental organization “Women’s Rights Association” also grants annual awards to journalists of the press or electronic journalism, who systematically promote gender equality.

• The Women’s Rights Association, apart from granting the aforementioned annual journalism award, submits, jointly with other women’s organizations, protestations concerning the degrading presentation of women, through advertising spots.

• The Soroptimistic Union of Greece emphasizes, through the magazine it publishes, the importance and the role of the Mass Media to the formation and preservation of stereotypes concerning women and makes efforts towards the elimination of such stereotypes organizing various events.

• In 2002, by an initiative of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, an annual award was set, given to any article, report or journalist research that highlights and promotes the issue of equality, in co-operation with the Institute for the Promotion of Journalism, Athan. V. Botsi. The award is sponsored by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality. Setting the above mentioned award aims at:

- the qualitative development and publicity regarding women issues

- more objective and reliable information with frequent display of equality issues

- pointing out the new social roles of the two sexes and their social equality.

B. POLICIES FOR THE RECONCILIATION OF WORKING LIFE

AND FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES

I. FAMILY

The demographic image of Greece

10. The demographic developments in Greece are characterized by a decrease of the birthrate, fertility and death-rate and, during the last decade, by the repatriation of aliens of hellenic descent and the inflow of immigrants. In particular, according to Eurostat data concerning 2003, the overall population of Greece increased from 11,006,400 to 11,041,100 inhabitants (+34,700) mainly due to the inflow of immigrants. For 2003, the birthrate indicator in Greece was 1.27 children per woman, the same as in 2002, while in 1980 it was 2.21 children per woman. Greece has the lowest birthrate indicator in the E.U. of the 15 and the fifth lowest in the E.U. of the 25 member states, above Slovenia (1.22), the Czech Republic (1.18), Slovakia (1.17) and Cyprus (1.16). In The European Union of the 25 Member States, the average birthrate indicator in 2003 was 1.48 children per woman, as compared to 1.88 children in 1980. The number of births in Greece, in 2003 was 9.4 per 1,000 inhabitants (E.U.25: 10,4) as opposed to 15.4 in 1980. The number of deaths was 9.5 per 1,000 inhabitants (E.U. 25: 9.9), while in 1980 it was 9.1. Therefore, there was no natural increase of the population in Greece (difference between the number of births and the number of deaths per 1,000 inhabitants) last year, as was also the case in 2002. In 1980 it was 6.3%. The Community average was +0.4 for 2003 and +3.2 for 1980. In conclusion, from 1950 onwards, it may be observed that births in Greece show a steady downward trend; today they approach 1.3 per woman, a percentage significantly below replacement-level fertility (2.1 children per woman). The immigration flow (inflow - outflow) was +3.2 per 1,000 inhabitants in Greece, in 2003, as opposed to +1.7 in 2002 and +5.2 in 1980. In the European Union of the 25 member states it was +3.7 per 1,000 inhabitants. Life expectancy in Greece, in 2003, went up to 75.4 years for men (1980: 72.2) and 80.7 years for women (1980: 76.8). In the European Union of the 25 Member States life expectancy is 74.8 years for men and 81.1 years for women.

11. The number of marriages is continually decreasing while the number of divorces is increasing. In 2003, the ratio was 56.6 marriages per 1,000 inhabitants, while in 1980, it was 62.4. On the contrary, as regards divorces, a significant increase may be observed, as the ratio was 11.1 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2003, as opposed to 6.7 in 1980. The percentage of births out of wedlock has risen from 2.9% in 1994 to 4.4% in 2002:

Census 2001 Data

Processing the census 2001 data has produced the following results

(Source: National Statistical Office)

All day school, daycare centres for children and infants

12. Aiming at an integrated system for the reconciliation of family and working life, the all day primary and nursery school were established. Already, there are 3,964 primary and 2,169 nursery schools with extended working hours. Also, there are 1,306 Public Daycare Centres with a capacity for 78,000 children (aged from 2 ½ years to their enrolment to primary school) and 132 Daycare Centres for infants and children, with a capacity of 10,000 children, aged from 8 months to their age of enrolment to primary school. Their aim is to serve working parents as well as financially weak families; children who due to special reasons (children who have lost one or both parents, children of unmarried mothers, divorced or separated parents, children of large families, children whose parents suffer from physical or mental disability etc.), need special social care, have precedence over others in their admission to these Daycare Centres. For the improvement of the living conditions of the children and of the services offered to them, the parents pay a fee, proportional to their family income.

It is noted that all Public Daycare Centres came under the jurisdiction of Local Authorities ipso jure, according to the provisions of Article 12 of law 2880/01; from then on they have been operating as municipal and community Public Law Institutions (N.P.D.D.) of Article 203 of the Presidential Decree 410/95 (Municipal and Community Code). Law 2920/2001 established a Force of Health and Welfare Services Supervisors (S.E.Y.Y.P.) at the Ministry of Health and Welfare which, among other things, may intervene to the Welfare Services of Municipalities and Communities in order to control the quality and efficiency of facilities and equipment as well as to take proper security measures for the sanitary living conditions of children and staff.

13. According to article 8 of law 3106/2003 “Reorganization of the National Social Care System”, the 164 Daycare Centres for Children and Infants whose operators were supervised by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (PIKPA, EOP, K.V. “I Mitera”, I.V.S. of Athens, I.V.S of Thessaloniki and I.V.S. of Larissa), were transferred to the Municipalities and Communities of the District in which they operate.

14. Charity Organizations have established and operate 39 Centres (of a non-profit character), a number of which is symbolically subsidized by the State Budget. There are also about 1,090 Private Daycare Centres for Children and Infants in operation (private enterprises).

15. Finally, according to a Common Ministerial Order of the Ministers of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, Employment and Social Protection, and Health and Welfare, the Regional Operational Programmes (P.E.P.) which are part of the Third Community Support Framework, entail actions referring to the operation of new structures or new departments in already existing structures of Daycare Centres for Children and Infants, Daycare Centres of integrated care for Children and Infants (with departments for infants with disabilities) (VSOF), Daycare Centres for Children, Creative Occupation Centres for Children (KDAP) and Creative Occupation Centres for Children with Disabilities (KDAP AMEA); the Operational Programme “Employment and Vocational Training”, which is also part of the Third Community Support Framework, entails actions for the continuation or even expansion of the operation of the existing structures which were co-financed by the European Social Fund (E.S.F.) in the context of the Second Community Support Framework.

Children Care and Support

16. The Ministry of Health and Welfare in view of the enhancement of Social Policy in a National context, brought law 3106/2003 for the regional decentralization of the National System of Social Care to Parliament, aiming at the decentralization of social care services and their institutional and actual connection to health services, as well as co-operation and coordination of all operators that are involved in combating social exclusion. The new institutional framework aims at more effective and timely service provision to the citizens.

With the new institutional framework created by the above mentioned law (Article 8) the Family Care Centres of the abolished National Organization for Social Care (EOKF) – which were established according to the provisions of Presidential Decree 575/70 – and which provide, among other services, consultation to families, children, adolescents and other vulnerable groups, come under the jurisdiction of Municipalities and Communities of the District where they operate. It is noted that in implementing Law 3106, a series of Common Ministerial Orders were issued, which provide that the Social Welfare Programmes of the abolished EOKF are continued by the Social Care units of the relative PESYP (Regional National System of Health and Welfare) “Penteli Convalescent Home”, Foster Home “Agios Andreas Kalamakiou” and Infant Centre “I MITERA”. The “National Council of Social Care” (E.SY.K.F.), with its home office in Athens, is a Public Law Institution, established under the provisions of Article 7, Law 3106/2003. The E.S.Y.K.F. aims at assisting the Ministry of Health and Welfare to design policies in the field of Welfare. Moreover, with the provisions of paragraph 15 of Article 21, Law 3172/03, E.S.Y.K.F. observes the National Registry of Adoptions and the National Registry of Adoptive Parents and secures their confidential character. A representative of the National Confederation of People with Disabilities, recommended by the Confederation’s Administrational Board to represent people with disabilities and their families, participates in the Administrational Board of the E.S.Y.K.F.

17. In the context of the efforts to fight the phenomenon of children’s mendicancy in the streets, there’s a programme implemented by the non-profit society “Filoxenia”, in Thessaloniki, financed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Moreover, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the National Organization of Social Care and the Society “Child’s Smile” have signed a programmatic agreement, which includes the development of programmes aiming to face emergencies regarding children in danger, by accommodating them in specially prepared facilities and by the use of mobile units, on a 24 hour basis with the contribution of Social Workers, Special Games Educators (e.g. for dramatized games), Nurses etc. and the use of vehicles equipped with a connection to a special air net, as well as the operation of a Hostel for Girls in Kareas, with specialized staff, which provides food and education for the children.

18. The non-governmental organization Centre for Child Care (KMOP), with the co-operation of the Organization LIMMAT STIFTUNG, is implementing, in the Municipalities of Perama and Korydallos, a programme “For the prevention of students” dropping out of compulsory education”. The programme addresses students of the First and Second Grade of Gymnasio (Secondary School) who are characterized by low school performance and a high probability of dropping out. The KMOP also operates a Daycare Centre in Perama, Attika, for primary school pupils who face psychological problems, speech impediments and difficulties in adapting to the school environment. A programme of additional tutoring and creative activities is implemented for these children, in addition to the various services provided.

19. The Greek State, without any discrimination on the basis of race, religion or origin, provides to all beneficiaries who satisfy the conditions of the Law, the allowance provided by the Programme for Financial Support of unprotected children (law 4051/60), provided that their residence in Greece is legal. Already, a legislative regulation is being studied in an attempt to improve the terms and conditions regulating the operation of the programme on a fairer basis.

20. Cash benefits for maternity are also paid to all working mothers who are not entitled to maternity benefits from an insurance fund or are uninsured. This programme is implemented according to Article 4, paragraph 5, law 1302/82, by which the International Labour Convention 103 on “Maternity Protection” (1952) was ratified. A maternity allowance is also granted to all foreign citizens, if they satisfy the above mentioned conditions and are, legally, residents of Greece.

21. All foreign nationals and their children also have access to Welfare services (Daycare Centres, Social Care Units, Children Care Centres, State Programme Holiday Camps) if they satisfy the conditions set by statutory regulations, provided that their residence in Greece is certifiably legal.

22. Law 3094/2003 redefined the competencies and the mode of operation of the Greek Ombudsman and extended the Ombudsman’s mission to the field of the protection and promotion of the rights of the child.

23. As far as support for large families is concerned, the Agricultural Insurance Organization (OGA), which operates as the authorized representative of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, grants the third child allowance, the large family mother allowance and life-long pension. The above allowances are also granted to citizens of the member States of the European Union as well as to the citizens of the countries of the European Economic Area (law 2819/2000, Article 11) who reside in Greece.

School and University Students’ Grants

24. By Ministerial Order^[22], a school student’s grant is given to families with children up to 16 years of age who attend public schools of compulsory education. It addresses families, including single parent families, with an annual income not above 3,000 Euros and is up to 300 Euros annually for each child-student of compulsory education. The grant is given in lump sum form, at the beginning of every school year. The cash is discharged by the competent Public Finance Department (D.O.Y.) of the place of residence of the beneficiary.

25. According to Article 10 of law 3220^[23], families with children who study at a city different from the city of residence of the family are entitled to an annual student accommodation allowance of 1,000 Euros. A necessary condition is that the annual family income of the previous year must not exceed 30,000 Euro, with an additional margin of 3,000 Euro for every protected child apart from the first one.

Shorter national military service for parents of large families, children of unmarried mothers, etc.

26. According to law 3257/04, as it amends provisions of Presidential Decree 292/2003, the oldest child of a family with at least three children spends three months less in service, than what is generally provided by statutory regulations. Additionally, service is reduced by nine months for the oldest child of a parent who is incapable of work or has completed seventy years of age, or is widowed or dead. The same holds for the oldest child of an unmarried mother.

II. PROGRAMMES - GOOD PRACTICES – INFORMATION

27. In the context of the Fourth Medium Term Programme of Community Action for Gender Equality, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality co-financed the publication of a handbook titled “Best Practices for the Reconciliation of Family and Working Life in the European Union”, as well as the organization of a European Conference with the same agenda in Athens, on 22-23 June 2001, with the participation of the twelve countries which participated in the programme. The responsibility for the realization of the above mentioned actions was with the non-governmental organization Family and Child Support Centre.

28. In the period 2000-2002, the programme “Women heads of single parent families” was implemented, which was part of the general strategy of the European Union (2001-2005) for Gender Equality. This programme was co-financed by the Directorate General of Employment and Social Affairs of the European Commission (80%) and the General Secretariat for Gender Equality (20%).

29. In July 2003, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality published an informational leaflet titled “Women Heads of Single-Parent Families” with information concerning social benefits, cash allowances, supportive services provided to women heads of Single-Parent families.

30. In December 2003, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality published an informational leaflet titled “We Support the Family – We Ensure Equal Opportunities and Rights for All – We Protect Maternity – We Support Women in the Labour Market”. The leaflet includes information on the legislative framework for the protection of the family, the cash benefits, the structures for the support of the family as well as the new measures for immediate support of socially and financially weaker families, in effect since 1-1-2004.

Article 6

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to suppress all forms of traffic in women and exploitation of prostitution of women.

A. TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS

1. The Greek State and the Civil Society have commonly promoted actions against trafficking in human beings in the domestic field and then utilized the experience and technical know-how in the context of international developmental co-operation, contributing to combating the problem at a European regional level.

I. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

2. Ever since 2001, Greece has intensified its efforts to crack down on trafficking and trade in human beings. An important first step has been the establishment of the “Group against human trafficking” (OKEA), in the Ministry of Public Order, aiming to change of the legislative framework and inform about the problem.

3. Over the same period, a proper legislative framework was created, through the revision of the relative Articles of the Penal Code and the special handling of trafficking by law 3064/2002 and Presidential Decree 233/2003. In particular:

• Law 3064/2002 for “The elimination of human trafficking, crimes against sexual freedom, children pornography and, in general, financial exploitation of sexual life and assistance to victims of such crimes”, which was unanimously voted for in the Greek Parliament, attempts serious and substantial interventions on the Penal Code, providing for severe penalties for the perpetrators. Under the provisions of the law, there are stricter penalties (some of them to the degree of felony) for all the contemporary forms of human trafficking, as that of removing organs of the body, coerced and fraudulent exploitation of individuals’ labour, financial exploitation of sexual life, recruitment of children to use in armed conflict, while special emphasis is placed on the protection of children and socially vulnerable groups (foreign women). An explicit provision deals with the problem of child pornography which, through the development of the Internet, has taken on alarming dimensions.

• Presidential Decree 233/2003 regarding the provision of assistance to victims of human trafficking introduces the necessary legislative framework for the provision of assistance, protection and care to the victims of criminal actions of pandering, human trafficking, sexual abuse of children for pay and trade in human beings. In particular there are provisions for the protection of life, physical integrity, personal and sexual freedom. Assistance is also provided in relation to accommodation, sustenance, medical care, psychological support, ensuring the existence of a legal advisor and an interpreter. Particularly for minors, it is provided that they participate in educational and vocational training programmes.

• Paragraph 7, Article 34, law 3274/2004 replaces paragraph 7, Article 44, law 2910/2001 and provides that:

“Deportation of illegal aliens who bring charges against actions of pandering, may, by order of the First Instance Court Public Prosecutor and the approval of a Principal Public Prosecutor, be suspended until an irrevocable court decision is issued regarding the offences which were brought to Court. If the complaint is proven false, the deportation is executed. For the duration of the suspension of deportation, by order of the Secretary General of the Region, a residence permit is granted, by way of derogation from law 2910/2001. The said residence permit is also used in place of a work permit, is given for a time period of six months and is extended for equal time periods until the issuing of an irrevocable court decision; its granting does not require payment of a fiscal stamp. This provision is also implemented proportionally for the cases of Article 12, law 3064/2002”.

II. STATISTICAL DATA

4. According to statistical evidence of the Ministry of Public Order, (2000-2004), during the past years, significant results have been noted owing to the activation of the Services against the phenomenon (440 cases dealt with, in 2001 as opposed to 272 in 2000). In 2001, 54 criminal networks were eliminated as opposed to 41 in 2000. In these networks, 164 victims of human trafficking were involved. In 2002, the Greek Police cracked 64 criminal networks of pandering and human trade, in which 184 victims of human trafficking were involved. From 15-10-2002, when law 3064/2002 took effect, until 30-10-2003, the Greek Police Services implemented it in 475 cases, while 195 women were recognized as victims of trafficking. During the year 2004 the Greek Police dealt with 65 cases of trafficking in human beings and human trade, of which 29 involved offences committed by Criminal Organizations. Investigations and inquiries into these cases resulted in bringing charges against 352 perpetrators, both Greek and foreign nationals, while there were 181 victims (men, women and children) of financial and sexual exploitation. Assistance and protection was provided to 46 victims by State units of assistance and protection, as well as by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). For 25 victims, an order by the competent Public Prosecutor was issued, by which their deportation was suspended, according to Article 12 of law 3064/02.

The Services of the Greek Police involved cooperated:

• With the foreign diplomatic authorities (Embassies, Consulates) in our country in 12 cases, regarding the provision of assistance and protection to the victims – citizens of their respective countries. The victims were transported to the above mentioned authorities after consultation and consequently, in cooperation with the IOM in Greece, they were safely repatriated.

• With IOM in the above mentioned 12 cases as well as in 5 more cases, regarding safe repatriation.

• With the General Secretariat for Gender Equality as well as with the General Secretariat for Health and Welfare for the provision of assistance and protection to 31 victims, by Governmental and non Governmental organizations.

It is noted that the majority of the victims are legal residents of our country, which is why they declared to the Services involved that they do not wish to be put under the protection of the State. Already, the majority of them have departed for their home countries, while a small number of them still in our country.

5. According to a survey by K.E.D.E. (STOPNOW 2002), the number of women coerced to prostitution in Greece, in 2002 was estimated at 17,200. According to estimations, this number is continuously decreasing. Having reached a peak in 1997 (22,500 women and children was the estimated number), coerced prostitution showed a limited fall in the period 1998-2000. By the end of 2001 onwards, it shows a steady downward trend. In 2002, the actual number of cases was reduced to slightly more than 17,000. During 2004 – if the present trend continues, which is probable – it is expected to fall to under 13,000 people coerced to prostitution in the context of the term human trafficking – as this has been defined on the basis of European Conventions and the Annex to the Palermo Convention.

III. GOVERNMENTAL ACTIONS

6. Greece has developed an integrated programme of actions against human trafficking and trade, based on the coordination of co-competent Ministries, which covers the entire range of actions related to trafficking, namely:

- Monitoring the phenomenon – locating the victim

- Recognition and protection of the victim

- Establishment of hostels – refuges

- Medical and psychological support of the victim

- Legal protection and assistance to the victim

- Administrative support – granting a residence permit

- Repatriation

- Support in the countries of origin with programmes of re-integration

- Education and labour integration of the victims who remain in Greece

- Training of the Police Force

- Training of judges and attorneys

- Informing the public

Analytically, the actions, which have been either implemented or programmed, are:

7. Interministerial Level

• Establishment of a Special Steering Committee, by initiative of the Ministry of Justice, aiming at the coordination, at a political level, of the work for the implementation of the provisions of Law 3064/2002 for the “Elimination of Human Trafficking”.

• Development of a national database for the monitoring of the phenomenon through data assembled from all Ministries.

• Co-operation and establishment of a “permanent forum” of opinion exchange and information by Ministries and NGOs.

• Participation of Greece to the ad hoc committee of the Council of Europe for Actions against Trafficking in Human Beings (CAHTEH), aiming at signing a European Convention for the elimination of trafficking in human beings.

8. Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization

• Information through clarifying instructions circulars by the competent Regional Immigration and Aliens Offices, which grant the relevant permits.

• Awareness enhancement and information of the public through an advertising campaign of the Immigration Policy Institute.

9. General Secretariat for Gender Equality

• Consultation and social support: Immediate provision of specialized information services, consultation and social support to women – victims of trafficking, aiming at their social and, mainly, labour integration. The programme is to be realized in the context of the 17 Action Plans of the programme “Integrated Interventions for Women” of the Operational Programme “Employment and Vocational Training”.

• A campaign aiming to inform the public about trafficking in humans and to promote awareness in society:

- Through the production of multilingual printed informational material
- Through a television and radio campaign

• Work – Integration – Employment of the victims in co-operation with the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection in the context of the EQUAL Community Initiative, which provides for training, labour integration and employment of the victims of trafficking in new areas of the economy, through innovative actions.

• Consultation Centres for Violence against Women: There are two consultation centres for violence against women in Athens and Piraeus, which provide psychological and social support for the victims.

• Co-operation with women NGOs: The General Secretariat for Gender Equality cooperates with women’s organizations to illuminate and combat violence phenomena and it also finances, in certain cases, their actions.

10. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Financing actions against trafficking in human beings. For the year 2004 the total amount spent will be up to 3.1 million Euro.

• Bilateral agreement with Albania against trafficking in children: A bilateral agreement with Albania regarding trafficking in children is at the final stage of processing. Its aim is the achievement of a final agreement that attempts to deal with the subject in all its dimensions and aspires to constitute an international standard for similar agreements.

• Signing similar agreements with neighboring countries: By signing and implementing the above mentioned agreement with Albania, the Ministry aims at signing similar agreements regarding the subject of trafficking in children with other countries of the Balkans and Eastern Europe, which are countries of origin of the children – victims.

• Hub of International Contact Against Trafficking in Thessaloniki: In co-operation with OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) and the Stability Pact, it was decided to establish and operate a Hub of International Contact for the coordination of the actions of international organizations and states at the alternative headquarters of the Stability Pact, in Thessaloniki.

• Hostels – Refuges: Financing of the operation of four shelters (“Allilegii”-Solidarity-, “Giatri tou Kosmou” –Doctors of the World- and “Klimaka” in Athens and “E.K.Y.TH.K.K.A.” in Ioannina) for the protection of the victims. These hostels provide psychological and social support and prepare repatriation. Two hostels operated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Athens and Thessaloniki are co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as is an EKAKV (National Centre of Emergency Social Care) unit of protection and assistance for the first hours after locating a victim.

• Creation of international networks for the elimination of trafficking: Financing of two programmes for the establishment of networks to eliminate trafficking, and to exchange information with the victims’ countries of origin (Balkans – Eastern Europe)

• Repatriation Programmes: Financing – repatriation programme with the International Organization for Migration.

• Support in the countries of origin: Financing of two programmes for the support of victims after their repatriation to their countries of origin (Georgia, Belarus, Moldavia and Armenia) with a) support of the existing reception centres, b) reintegration programmes, c) medical and pharmaceutical care, d) vocational seminars, etc.

• Protection in the countries of origin: financing a programme for a protection centre of unaccompanied or neglected children in Albania, after their repatriation.

• Financing of seminars:

- For the Police

- For Judges and Public Prosecutors

11. Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs

• The Ministry of national Education and Religious Affairs studies ways of informing of the students at the senior grades of Lykeio (non compulsory secondary education, succeeding the three years of compulsory secondary education, Gymnasio) regarding the problem of trafficking in human beings for their sexual and financial exploitation.

12. Ministry of Employment and Social Protection

• Participation in an OAED (Greek Manpower Employment Organization) STAGE programme

• Participation of recognized victims to a labour market integration programme. The victims may participate in an Integrated Intervention programme designed in the context of the Operational Programme “Employment and Vocational Training”, aiming at their full integration into the labour market. The programme is based on a mesh of supportive psychological, social and employment structures. In particular:

• Provision of support and supplementary services, aiming at the empowerment, encouragement and confidence building of abused women. Support and supplementary services are provided, while the victim is approached individually.

• Learning the Greek language, so that the victims are enabled to communicate fluently in their daily life and integrate without problems in the labour market. Greek language courses with a duration of 200-500 teaching hours are offered by the company “Vocational training Plc.”, leading to acquisition of a Greek language efficiency certificate.

• Vocational Training: Theoretical education and practical training in businesses, aiming at the acquisition of vocational skills and experience is offered to the victims by the company “Vocational Training for the Unemployed”. The duration of the programmes is about 600-1,000 hours.

• Forwarding to employment: following the completion of the above-mentioned actions, the trained women are integrated into programmes of OAED aiming to find employment.

13. Ministry of Health and Welfare

The Ministry, through EKAKV has operated four shelters for victims of trafficking in Athens and Thessaloniki, with a total capacity of 140 persons, apart from the three shelters which are operated by NGOs in Athens, Ioannina and Thessaloniki, financed by the State. In the above-mentioned shelters, 76 victims have been accommodated so far. The shelters are fully staffed by specialized personnel (social workers, psychologists, nurses and security guards.

• Operation of the EKAKV – hotline 197. The National Centre of Emergency Social Care (EKAKV) is at the core of the integrated programme of actions. It is a Legal Entity of Public Law, controlled (by 100%) by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and is responsible for the operation, management and supervision of hostels for victims’ accommodation. In particular, through the operation of hotline 197:

- Complaints regarding detention of individuals are filed

- There is multilingual communication

- Victims are located

- Psychological support services are provided

- Medical advice is provided

- Callers are referred to Health Centres for Medical and Pharmaceutical Care

- Callers are referred to cooperating institutions for coverage of legal protection needs

The action of EKAKV in the field of trafficking in human beings is parallel to the other services of social support that it provides:

• Voluntary repatriation programme: The Ministry of Health and Welfare finances the International Organization for Migration for the voluntary repatriation of the victims.

• Free medical and pharmaceutical care

• Information

• Information of the public about the operation of hotline 197

• Issuing circulars of the Ministry for information and sensitization of a) Health and Welfare Services Staff and b) Welfare Directorates of the Prefectures of the country regarding the offence of trafficking in human beings

• Operation of a Permanent Committee for the Protection and Assistance of Victims of Human Trade: The Permanent Committee for the Protection and Assistance of Victims of Human Trade of Article 9, Presidential Decree 233/2003 is going to operate with a new, substantial role.

• Co-operation with NGOs.

14. Ministry of Justice

• Amendment of the legislation framework by changes in Presidential Decree 233/2003: The Ministry of Justice will proceed to an amendment of the provisions of Presidential Decree 233/2003 “Protection and assistance to victims of the crimes of Articles 323, 323^A, 349, 351 and 351^A of the Penal Code, according to Article 12 of law 3064/2002”. The amendments of the Presidential Decree tend towards:

- The immediate characterization of the victim by the competent First Instance Court Public Prosecutor (characterization act) so that the victim may benefit, as soon as possible, from the provisions regarding protection, support and assistance.

- The participation, in the field of assistance, of NGOs who are active in the field of support and assistance for victims of trafficking (after evaluation).

- The implementation of necessary measures, through an expansion and strengthening of the competencies of the Permanent Committee of Article 9 of the Presidential Decree.

• Training of Judges and Public Prosecutors:

- The inclusion of relevant subjects into the curriculum of the National School of Judges and

- The organization of advanced training seminars for active Judges, in the context of operation of the Department of Advanced Training of the National School of Judges in Komotini.

15. Ministry of Public Order

The Ministry of Public Order has been implementing a long-term specific strategy and action plans which aim at laying down the problem at a Police Division level, the delegation of concrete duties to High Rank Officers, the close co-operation with Local Authorities, the constant and persistent effort of enhancing staff awareness, the activation and improvement of the information network, the strict implementation of the statutory regulations, the in-depth investigation of the cases, the more intense mobilization of the Border Guard Departments, etc. The fields of action are the following:

• Team Against Human Trade: The operation of OKEA (Team Against Human Trade) continued in 2004, its aim being to undertake energetic action in a more practical manner, such as studying and strengthening its co-operation with all involved institutions to locate and liberate as many victims as possible. In the context of the OKEA operation there have been proposals to the Ministry of Justice for specific amendments to Presidential Decree 233/2003.

• Pilot operation of Special Services against trafficking: Aiming at dealing effectively with the phenomenon, there are pilot anti-trafficking services operating, suitably staffed and equipped. In the Security Departments of Attika and Thessaloniki in the existing specialized Vice Departments, the special anti-trafficking teams have been in operation since 1-11-2003.

• Co-operation with foreign embassies – competent institutions – NGOs: The Services of the Greek Police have been cooperating more effectively with foreign embassies in our country, in matters concerning assistance to victims who are citizens of their respective countries, in such cases, since the beginning of 2004. This co-operation begins with informing the Foreign Authority regarding the involvement of the citizens of their country. After prosecuting on the perpetrators, and after the victims are characterized by the competent Public Prosecutor, the Police Services communicate to the Embassies the possible wishes of the victims for repatriation and the embassies see to the victims’ repatriation. Greek Police Services also cooperate in matters of assistance to victims with NGOs (Doctors of the World, KESO, E.K.Y.TH.K.K.A.), through the General Secretariat for Gender Equality and regarding the victims’ safe repatriation, with the International Organization for Migration.

• Personnel Education and Training: During the Academic years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 the Police Academy has included into their syllabus, in all education levels (Policemen and Police Officers Academies) as well as departments of advanced training and education of police staff) the subject of trade in human beings (fighting the phenomenon – locating the victims – assistance and protection to the victims).

• International police operation “Mirage 2004”: In May 2004 the police operation “Mirage 2004” took place. It was organized by the SECI Centre (of which Greece is a member) and the participants included the member states, international organizations and NGOs. The aim of the operation was to define the criminal groups who manage trafficking and trade of women in the context of common Police investigations.

• At the same time work on the following continues:

- Development of co-operation and meetings with the Police Departments of neighboring countries (Albania, FYROM, Bulgaria)

- Exchange of information (INTERPOL, EUROPOL, SECI, etc.)

IV. ACTIONS OF NGOs

16. International Organization for Migration (I.O.M)

• It implements programmes of voluntary repatriation and social reintegration. With the support of the Ministries of Health and Welfare and Foreign Affairs, it pays for the expenses of air transport of the victims to their final destination, in co-operation with the respective I.O.M. Offices in their countries of origin. It cooperates with governmental and non-governmental organizations for the provision of accommodation, as well as socio-psychological, legal and medical and pharmaceutical support to victims of trade in human beings.

• It holds information and awareness seminars on the matter, for public organizations executives and N.A.T.O. services executives. It co-organized the seminar “Europe”, together with the Ministry of Public Order. It informs the public, through festivals and other activities, distributes informative pamphlets to NGOs, consulates, hospitals and, in general, places where the target group may be found. It trains executives for the institutions of employment support in issues of racial discriminations.

• Together with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, it organized, in 2004, a panel among the most important institutions who deal with the subject, in order to clarify the connection between “trade in human beings - asylum” and to establish a work group.

• It cooperates with embassies and consulates of the countries of origin of women in Greece, as well as with the Headquarters of the Greek Police, for the location and rescue of the victims. It participates in the OKEA of the Ministry of Public Order and the Task Force of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the interministerial committees of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

17. Programme against international trade in human beings (STOPNOW-KEDE)

• The Programme is implemented by the Centre of Research and Action on Peace (KEDE) and is financed by YDAS (International Development Co-operation Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

• The aim of the programme (which has been implemented since 2001), is to combat the phenomenon of international trafficking in women and children both in Greece and in the countries of origin of the victims (Albania, Ukraine). The actions of the Programme focus on information and awareness campaigns (broadcast spots, etc.), on networking and coordination of Greek and Balkan non-governmental organizations, as well as competent governmental institutions and international organizations, qualitative and quantitative research and survey and exercising pressure for the implementation of the legislation framework. Exercising pressure was also the aim of the formation of the “Galatsi Group” which consists of non-governmental organizations that are active in the field of combating trade in human beings. The Programme places special emphasis on the assistance towards and protection of the victims as well as their voluntary repatriation. It also participates in the TOXO Programme. The web site concerning the action is www.stop-trafficking.org.

18. The TOXO Programme

• TOXO is a group of five non-governmental organizations (K.A.TH.V., E.K.K.Y.TH.K.A., KEDE, Arsis and the Albanian Organization UAW) which creates centres for the reception and protection (refuges) of victims of international trafficking in Thessaloniki, Athens, Ioannina and Albania. The first such refuge, financed by YDAS, is already in operation in Ioannina.

19. Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture and other forms of Maltreatment (K.A.TH.V.)

• K.A.TH.V., since 2001, provides its services, on a voluntary basis, to women – victims of trafficking in Northern Greece. The services it offers are the following: (1) legal support, (2) psychological and social rehabilitation, (3) provision of medical services, (4) forwarding to accommodation structures, (5) contribution to the safe repatriation of the victim, (6) forwarding the victims to organizations in the country of origin who will see to their successful social integration following their repatriation. It participates in the TOXO programme. In Thessaloniki, the Programme provides for the operation of a Reception Centre and short term accommodation of the victims, a project to be implemented by the K.A.TH.V. The organization is a member of the “Galatsi Group”.

20. Research and Support Centre for Victims of Maltreatment and Social Exclusion (E.K.Y.TH.K.K.A.)

• It is a non-governmental organization generally aiming at the protection of human rights and the support for victims of abuse and social exclusion the central offices of which are located in Ioannina. There’s an SOS hotline and during the period 2000-2001 E.K.Y.TH.K.K.A. participated in the implementation of three STOP Programmes. It offers socio-psychological support to women-victims of trafficking. It participates in the “Galatsi Group”.

• In 2000 it organized a panel on “Trade in women aiming at their sexual exploitation”, while the issues of its magazine “In the street...” included articles on the same subject. In the same year it organized visits to the Police Department of Ioannina, in places where women-victims of trafficking were detained and provided them with psychological support, clothing, legal advice and medical care.

• In 2002 it held a conference for women Border Guards of the Ipiros Region, aiming to enhance their awareness and train them. With the approval of the Police Department of Ioannina, it published an informational leaflet for women – victims of trafficking, in the Greek and Albanian languages.

• Since 2003 it participates in the TOXO programme and it operates a hostel for victims of human trafficking in Ioannina. At the same time, it implements two programmes, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One of these is titled “Support to the Active Citizens of Georgia” and it concerns the promotion of human rights and the strengthening of the social role of women and young people. The other is titled “Combating trafficking in women for their sexual exploitation” and is implemented in Skodra (Albania) and Ioannina.

21. ARSIS

• ARSIS implements actions against child trafficking. It participates in the TOXO programme, as well as in the “Galatsi Group” It is a partner in the TACT Programme -Transnational Actions Against Child Trafficking (2003-2006) which aims at the transnational, bilateral (Albania-Greece) co-operation against trafficking in children of Albanian origin. It is the operator that implements the STOP-Programme II (2002-2004), aiming at networking in local (Thessaloniki, national (Greece) and international level, training the staff of the Greek administration and of NGOs regarding prevention and elimination of the phenomenon (organization of seminars in Albania and Italy), conducting research for recording the problem and the methods applied against it as well as the exchange of experience among Greek, Belgian, Italian and Albanian organizations. It is an implementation operator for the Natali Programme – Actions Against Trafficking in Children of Albanian Origin (2003-2004), which intervenes in Albania to support the programmes of prevention and re-integration applied at local level. It was an implementation operator for the ERACT Programme –Emergency Response Against Child Trafficking (2004) for the establishment of a mechanism for immediate dealing with a possible escalation of the phenomenon of child trafficking during the period of preparation and conduct of the Olympic Games in Greece. The particular mechanism constitutes an infrastructure project, aiming at becoming, in the future, the National Observatory for Research, Prevention and Elimination of Child Trafficking in Greece.

22. Doctors of the World

• The organization implements programmes against “human trafficking”, since October 2003, aiming at offering protection and psychological support to victims of trafficking in human beings. It is a member of the “Galatsi Group”.

• It operates a hostel for women who have been trafficked into Greece for their exploitation by circuits of prostitution. The programme provides psychological, medical and pharmaceutical support to the women it accommodates, as well as Greek lessons. If the women are interested, there are also English lessons provided, as well as music and martial arts lessons. These lessons are given by volunteer teachers, at the facilities of the hostel. The women, during their stay at the hostel, may decide whether they wish for their immediate repatriation or they prefer to extend their stay in Greece to work. In both cases, the Programme supports in every possible way either their repatriation, by getting them tickets, contacting related embassies or relatives, or their stay in Greece by helping them to obtain the appropriate legal documents, finding them employment positions and monitoring their integration into the work environment.

23. Family Support Centre (KESO)

• The Family Support Centre, since 2001, accommodates, at Stegi Miteras (Mothers’ Shelter) women victims of trafficking. These women are provided not only with accommodation, but also with medical and pharmaceutical, legal and socio-psychological support. If they wish to be repatriated, this is usually paid for by Allilegii (Solidarity), NGOs, the Church of Greece and it is achieved in co-operation with their embassies for the issue of accompanying documents (because usually there are no passports). The International Organization for Migration (I.O.M.) undertakes all the procedures and escorts them to the airport; when they reach their country of origin they are received by the respective office of the I.O.M.

• In 2002, in KESO’s conference about “Family in the 3^rd Millenium”, there was a part about “Sexual exploitation and trafficking in women and children”, the conclusions of which were submitted to the government and sent to all media.

• In 2003 it organized an “trafficking and trade in women and children and the participation of the civil society in the Assistance to the Victims” day. Since then, the church, and, in particular the Archbishop became the head of a campaign aiming to inform public opinion and in particular the clients, who “commit an offence by coming into sexual intercourse with women-victims of human trade”.

• In February 2004, at a Press Conference about “Prostitution and the Olympics 2004”, it showed the relation between prostitution and trafficking and the attempted commercialization of the Olympic Games, with the exploitation of the sexual services of the women – victims of prostitution and trafficking.

• In 2004 in the KESO conference, which was dedicated to child abuse, violence against women and the low birth rate, one of the colloquia concerned trafficking. The minutes of the conference have already been published and in the process of being distributed.

• The organization is a member of the “Galatsi Group”.

24. European Women’s Network

• The European Women’s Network implemented the European Programme DAFNE titled “Breaking Through” concerning violence against women in minority and immigrant communities. It participates in the network of joint services of the TOXO Programme, aiming at immediate care for trafficking victims as well as information and prevention through SOS hotlines in Greece and Albania. The actions it implements include the SOS hotline against human trade and support of the victims by providing accommodation, legal and socio-psychological assistance. For these actions it receives limited financing by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also implements actions related to the education and training of police officers and volunteers. It is a member of the “Galatsi Group”.

25. KLIMAKA

• It actively participates in the “Galatsi Group” together with other organizations, aiming at the coordination of actions against the phenomenon of human trade. It also cooperates with the Ukrainian NGO “La Strada”, for the exchange of information and experience concerning trafficking. It has undertaken, with the co-operation of the YDAS of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the establishment of a refuge – hostel for the support of women victims of trafficking which will also provide services of legal support and socio-psychological rehabilitation. This will also involve a full group of specialists who will deal with each individual case, by the principles of a “multidisciplinary intervention group”. This group of scientists will also be able to offer its services to women-victims who are accommodated to other hostel-refuges. Actions for social re-integration or voluntary repatriation of the women in question are also provided for.

26. Centre for Research on the Women of the Mediterranean (KEGME)

• KEGME, in co-operation with the Albanian NGO “Centre for Population and Development of Albania”, implements, in Albania, the Programme “Women Victims of Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation”, which is financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece (YDAS-Hellenic Aid). The organization is a member of the “Galatsi Group”.

27. Nea Zoi

• The organization cooperates with the Church and other governmental institutions for the rehabilitation of trafficking victims. It provides services of socio-psychological support. It is a member of the “Galatsi Group”.

28. Greek Helsinki Monitor (EPSE)

• Since 2003 EPSE provides legal and other support to victims of trafficking and trade. Its actions also include locating the victims, providing them with a residence permit, a certificate that allows them free medical and pharmaceutical care and, where needed, a work permit. It is a member of the “Galatsi Group”.

29. Kinoniki Arogi Ellados (Social Assistance of Greece)

• The organization develops actions of reconnecting the victims to their families. It cooperates with KESO and the American organization VITAL VOICES and it is a member of the Board of the Metropolitan Network of Women of the Attika Prefecture. It implements the SOCRATES Programme for victims of violence and exploitation. It is a member of the “Galatsi Group”.

30. Network of Elective Women in Local Authorities

• In 2003 it cooperated with T.E.D.K.N.A. (Local Municipalities and Communities Union of the Attica Prefecture) in the international conference “The new, enlarged Europe and the role of the Mediterranean” where it presented the subject of trafficking in Eastern European and Balkan countries.

31. Soroptimistic Union of Greece

• Subsidized by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, it published an Aliens Information Leaflet in 5 languages. The leaflet was circulated by the Union and other organizations in the entire country and especially the frontier areas, countries of the Balkan Peninsula, Eastern Europe, Africa and elsewhere. It was granted an award by the European Soroptimistic Federation.

• It organized two conferences concerning women trafficking, while the subject of trafficking was central in one of the three round tables that were held in the European Soroptimistic Conference “Our Common Future”.

• It provided material assistance to the E.K.Y.TH.K.K.A.

B. ACTION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

32. The General Secretariat for Gender Equality is the governmental body competent for violence against women, a form of which is domestic violence (violence within the family). In the context of “National Policy Priorities and Axes of Action for Gender Equality 2004-2008”, that were adopted by the Governmental Committee (2 November 2004), preventing and combating violence against women is associated with the achievement of the goal of social cohesion and is defined as a priority axis.

Ι. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

33. By Decision of the Minister of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization (February 2005), a Working Committee has been established in the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, the task of which, is to propose an integrated legislative framework for the prevention and reduction of domestic violence. The Committee is already in operation and intends to examine, among others, the terms and prerequisites for establishing payment of financial aid to victims of domestic violence whose leaving home is impeded by lack of financial resources. An attempt towards legislative action against the phenomenon had also been made during the previous government’s term of office, with the elaboration of a Draft Bill by a Working Committee in 2002, which, however, was not taken to Parliament to be put to the vote.

ΙΙ. INFRASTRUCTURE

34. Apart from the two Consultation Centres for Violence against Women of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, which operate in Athens and Piraeus, and the branches of K.E.TH.I. (they operate under the supervision of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality) in five big cities of the country (Athens, Thessaloniki, Patra, Herakleion, and Volos), similar structures operate:

• In the Prefecture of Thessaloniki: the Centre for the Support of Women, of the Macedonian Institute

• In the Prefecture of Aetoloakarnania: the “Centre for the Education and Care for Family and Child” (ΚΕSΥΥ- ΚΕΜΟP “PLATO”)

• In the Prefecture of Ioannina: the Centre for Research and Support of Victims of Abuse and Social Exclusion

• In the Prefecture of Preveza: the Centre for Research and Support of Victims of Abuse, Sensitive Social Groups and Protection of Single-parent Families (ΚΕSTHΥΚΕΚΟ)

• In the Prefecture of Serres: the “Women’s Shelter” - Social Care

• In the Prefecture of Komotini: the Social Service of the Municipality of Komitini

• In the Prefecture of Karditsa: the Centre for the Support of Women of the Municipality of Karditsa

• In the Prefecture of Chios: the Office of Women’s Issues of the Municipality of Chios.

These structures provide psychological, social, and legal support to women victims of violence and other sensitive women’s groups, and operate through initiatives of local social bodies, co-financed by the European Programme for Combating Social Exclusion.

35. Since 2002, the Greek Section of European Women’s Network has been operating, for the first time, a free telephone help line, which provides psychological, social, and free legal assistance at the national level, on a 12-hour basis. At the same time, a consultation service was established, operating in the general area of the capital city. Its activities also include training volunteer social scientists for the operation of the telephone help line mentioned above.

36. The National Center of Emergency Social Care (EKAKV) operates as the statutory state agency of the Ministry of Health, aiming at addressing cases of domestic violence. The records of the total number of cases who used the hotline (SOS line) of ΕΚΑΚV (197), which operates on a 24-hour basis, during the period from June 2003 to June 2004, show that a large percentage were cases of domestic violence.

37. The General Secretariat for Gender Equality, in cooperation with the Municipality of Athens, operates a shelter, which provides accommodation to women victims of violence and their underage children.

• In the wider area of the capital city, a large part of the accommodation needs is covered by the shelter of the Athens Archdiocese (ΚΕSΟ) and by state social shelters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, addressing vulnerable groups of the general population.

• At the regional level, accommodation shelters exclusively for abused women and their children are provided -since 2000 up to the present day- by the Centre for Research and Support of Victims of Abuse and Social Exclusion (Prefecture of Ioannina) and “Women’s Shelter” (Prefecture of Serres). The latter possesses a mobile unit to offer aid to women victims of abuse who face kinetic problems, visiting them at home, while there is a volunteer women’s group active in providing services. Also, ΚΕTHΙ, in Heracleion operates a shelter for victims of violence.

• The General Secretariat for Gender Equality cooperates with the Municipality of Athens in order to renew the programme deal for the operation of the shelter for abused women, and the Municipalities of Thessaloniki, Serres, Kavala, and Komotini for the establishment and operation of similar Consultation Centres and Shelters.

ΙΙΙ. REHABILITATION AND SOCIAL INCLUSION

38. In the context of rehabilitation, it is important to note that the Programme of Supplementary Supportive Services of all branches of the ΚΕTHΙ also includes employment consultation. From the annual records of provided support services that have been offered by ΚΕTHΙ to abused women (among other vulnerable groups of women), it is shown that a large number of abused women had consultation on employment since their vast majority were unemployed. (ΚΕTHΙ Athens, 2000 - Sept. 2004)

39. Given that finding a job constitutes a significant factor for the release of women from abusive relationships, other institutions have also been active in this field, as

• The shelter of the Athens Archdiocese also provides training (like, for instance, handicraft courses) aiming at their employment and social rehabilitation

• In 2003, the Centre for Research and Support of Victims of Abuse and Social Exclusion implemented a programme of Supplementary Supportive Services titled «Femina», under the auspices of the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection, which addressed vulnerable groups and abused women.

• Similar actions have been implemented by almost all existing structures, in the context of combating social exclusion.

ΙV. INFORMATION AND SENSITIZATION OF PUBLIC OPINION

40. During the period 2001-2004, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality has attempted to sensitize the public opinion through TV and radio advertising spots, publication of leaflets (Greek and English languages), and printing posters. Among other events, in 2002, the General Secretariat also financed the performance of a theatrical play referring to domestic violence, at a central theatre in Athens.

41. On 25^th November 2004, commemoration day of violence against women, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality publicized data from a study on “Domestic Violence – Sample statistical development of data on women’s abuse” (Annex B). The research refers to women who contacted the Consultation Centres of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality during the period 1-1-2004 to 31-10-2004 and was conducted on the basis of the 7 European indicators posed by the Danish Presidency in 2002. A similar study had been published in November 2003, as well. Information offices for the public also operated in central streets of Athens and Piraeus, printed material was distributed and posters were put up in public transportation vehicles.

At a regional and local level, events such as seminars, one-day meetings, and conferences on domestic violence were organized, as indicated below:

• ΚΕTHΙ Athens and its branches organized events mainly addressing the local bodies involved, as well as scientific associations of the local community.

• At the same time, the Municipality of Athens organized training seminars and events to sensitize professionals.

• The shelter of the Athens Archdiocese organized events, published and distributed informational material, and actively participated in information and sensitization of the community projects. It also organised conferences on Domestic Violence.

V. CARE FOR CHILDREN - VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

42. Concerning abuse and neglect of children as victims of domestic violence:

• Actions and collaborations with social bodies such as the Institute of Children’s Health have been undertaken; the Institute’s task is multidisciplinary research on and recording of the phenomenon of abuse and neglect of children, as well as putting forward proposals on measures necessary for the protection and care of abused children to other competent bodies.

• More specifically, concerning the treatment of abused children, the Abuse and Neglect of Children Center of the Institute of Children’s Health operates in the “Agia Sofia” Hospital, while the Ministry of Health provides specialized services and accommodation for abused children in Chidren Care Centres and in the Pendeli Convalescent Home, following a Public Prosecutor’s order, concerning taking care of abused children.

• Furthermore, the coordination of the network of services and the modernisation of the Welfare Chart of the country will support the full utilisation of all available means for children’s protection.

• Following the ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child by Law 2101/99, Greece established the operation of the Children’s Ombudsman, in the context of the Citizen’s Ombudsman.

• The Ministry of Health has signed a programme deal with the non-governmental organization “Child’s Smile”, which deals, inter alia, with cases of children in danger, by accommodating them in specially created facilities, and by utilizing mobile units on a 24-hour basis, with the contribution of specialised staff.

VΙ. RESEARCH

43. With the financial support of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, the Research Centre for Gender Equality (K.E.TH.I.) and its branches have carried out a considerable number of quantitative and qualitative research studies on domestic violence. For instance, the following studies may be mentioned:

• “Review of Greek and foreign bibliography on domestic violence against women and record of bodies supporting women” (Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. Athens, 2000)

• “Publication of a Consultation Guide for Women” for the staff and advisors of Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. (Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. Athens, 2001)

• “The profile of women-users of services provided by Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. during the period 1.1.2000 to 30.6.2001. Evaluation of the services of Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of data and proposals for intervention” (Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. Athens, 2001)

• “Study-proposals regarding the final draft of the Ministry of the Interior bill on preventing and combating domestic violence” (Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. Athens, 2002)

• “Domestic Violence against women: first Pan-hellenic epidemiological research” (Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. Athens, 2003)

• “Victim or Survivor? The linguistic construction of identities in consultation for women’s abuse: a study analysis” (Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. Thessaloniki, 2001)

• “Violence against women exercised by their partners” (Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. Patra, 2001)

• “Attitudes of inhabitants in the Prefecture of Magnesia towards women heads of single-parent families” (Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. Volos, 2002)

44. During the same period (2000-2004), research was conducted by the following scientific and social bodies:

• National Kapodistrian University of Athens in collaboration with the Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. Herakleion: “The connection of domestic violence with the general health and image of the woman’s body” (2003)

• Medical School of Athens: “Screening Tool for the Identification of Intimate Partner Violence” (IPV) and “Development and Pilot Testing of a Module Concerning the Role of Health Care Providers in Assessment and Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence” (2003)

• ΚΕSΟ - The refuge of the Athens Archdiocese: “A study of social cases that were accommodated at Mother’s Home” and “The profile of the individual who abuses children sexually” (2003)

• Centre for Research and Support of Victims of Abuse and Social Exclusion: “Women Victims of Domestic Abuse: Behavioural Characteristics” (2003)

• Centre for Research and Support of Victims of Abuse and Social Exclusion: “Domestic Violence: first report from a battered women’s agency” (2004)

VIΙ. GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES

45. Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization (in cooperation with the Institute of Training of the National Centre for Public Administration)

• Organization of two Conferences on “Violence against Women as an Obstacle to Equality” (Athens – Thessaloniki 2003)

• Organization of three training programmes for civil servants, titled “Gender Equality and Violence against Women” (Athens 2003)

• Organization of a conference on: “Methods of combating the phenomenon of Violence against Women” in co-operation with the Association of Police Officers of Attica (Athens 2004).

46. Ministry of Public Order

• It included in the curriculum of the Greek Police Academies (Policemen/-women, Police Officers, School of Post-graduate Education and Training, and School of National Security), compulsory courses on topics concerning, in general, the protection of human rights, crimes against sexual freedom, and protection against rape.

• In the context of training on treatment towards victims of rape, officers of the Security Services participated in seminars abroad: in Britain (from 9 to 10-/5/ 2000, from 23 to 26/6/2003, and from 27 to 30/7/2004) in Germany (from 18 to 26/10/2004) and in Sweden (from 13 to 18/3/2004).

• In the context of training the police staff on treatment towards women victims of domestic violence, the Ministry organised and implemented:

- From February to May 2001, a pilot programme in the context of which social workers and psychologists were hired at regional police stations, to: (a) seek-locate individuals in need of help, (b) investigate charges for abuse, (c) keep records of individual cases, (d) contribute to and scientifically support the project as experts, (e) compile a report and (f) direct people to competent agencies.

- Till January 2002, the Programme was applied to Police Stations in the capital city (districts of Omonoia, Acharnon, Kolonos, Exarheia), and in other districts (Democracy Sq., Dendropotamou, Stavroupolis/Thessaloniki, Larissa, Β΄ Patra, Veroia, Α΄ Heracleion) as well as to Police Stations of the Sub-Constabulary for Juvenile Delinquency of Attica and of the Security Department of Herakleion and Patra.

- In the second phase, the Programme continued from September 2002 to September 2003, and five more Police Stations participated additionally, three in the district of Athens (Kallithea, Ag. Panteleimonas, Kypseli), and two in Thessaloniki (Border Guards Police Station and White Tower).

• During the same time period, three training seminars were organized to sensitize the police staff, and the telephone numbers of the Consultation Centres of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality were given to all Police-Stations of the country.

47. Ministry of Health and Welfare

• Training programmes addressing scientific personnel of the National Centre of Emergency Social Care (EKAKV) of all specialties, psychologists, social workers, sociologists, nursery teachers, educators, psychiatrists, and nurses.

• Introductory Education Programme on: “Intervening in crisis situations” (12 to 21/12/2001), Training Programme on: «Women’s Abuse – Intervening in crisis situations - First contact with agencies – Link to special forms of support» (3 to 20/2/2003) with the participation of civil servants of other cooperating bodies of the National Organisation for Social Care (the National Organisation for Social Care was abolished by Law 3100/2003, Article 5).

Article 7

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life of the country and, in particular, shall ensure to women, on equal terms with men, the right:

(a) To vote in all elections and public referenda and to be eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies

(b) To participate in the formulation of government policy and the implementation thereof and to hold public office and perform all public functions at all levels of government;

(c) To participate in non-governmental organizations and associations concerned with the public and political life of the country.

1. To implement the Action Programme for Equality 2001-2006 for the support of women’s participation in decision making centres, laws were voted for and actions^[24] were promoted, aiming at an integrated intervention on the issue of women participation in decision-making centres.

I. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

2. Law 2839/2000 (Article 6) provides for at least 1/3 participation of each gender in departmental boards and collective bodies of public administration organizations and Local Authorities Organizations. Today, there are positive results following the implementation of the participation quota of 1/3 of each gender in departmental boards, in a total of 21 Departmental Boards of Ministries, the percentage of participating women is between 40-60%.

3. The subsequent law 2910/2001 provides 1/3 participation of each gender as candidates in the Prefectural and Municipal elections. With a series of decisions the Council of State has judged that the above mentioned provision is in accordance with the Constitution (revised article 116, paragraph 2 of the Constitution)^[25].

4. With a decision by the Prime Minister^[26], the Interministerial Committee for Gender Equality was established in 2000.

5. In the context of the Greek Parliament operations, a Permanent Parliamentary Committee for Equality and Human Rights has been in operation since 2002^[27].

II. PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN POLITICS

6. European Parliament

Percentage of Women Participation

7. National Parliament

Percentage of Elected Women 1996-2000-2004

8. Participation in Government

Percentage of appointed women 1996-2000-2004

9. Participation in Local Authorities of the Prefectures and Municipalities

10. Participation of Women in the National Parliament

ΙΙΙ. PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

11. Percentage of Administrative Heads in Public Services by Division and Gender 1998-2002

12. Percentage of Administrative Heads in Public Law Bodies and Institutions by Division and Gender 1998-2002

13. Percentage of Administrative Heads in Local Authorities by Division and Gender 1998-2002

Source: Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization/General Secretariat for Public Administration

Statistical Data Bulletin on Public Sector Personnel 1999, 2003

ΙV. PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THE JUDICIARY

14. Council of State

15. Regular Administrative Courts

16. Civil and Criminal Courts

Source: Ministry of Justice

Directorate of Court Operation and Judges

V. PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN SECURITY FORCES

17. Greek Police Force

Source: Ministry of Public Order

Headquarters of the Greek Police

Administration Sector

Directorate of Police Personnel

1^st Department: Officers

18. Fire Brigade

Source: Ministry of Public Order

Headquarters of the Fire Brigade

Directorate III: Personnel

2^nd Department: Non commissioned Officers and Firemen

19. Armed Forces

Source: Ministry of National Defense

Directorate of Human Resources

Office for Equality

VΙ. PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN JOURNALISM

20. Journalism and Similar Professions

Source: National Statistical Service of Greece (2001)

Article 8

(d) States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure to women, on equal terms with men and without any discrimination, the opportunity to represent their Governments at the international level and to participate in the work of international organizations.

1. The presence of women in the diplomatic field continuously increases, as shown by the data below. The percentage of women’s participation, however, is particularly low in higher ranks. It is worth-noting that no woman serves as an Ambassador, while women’s participation in the positions of Minister Plenipotentiary of Α΄ and Β΄ ranks is very low. There is a total of 130 women in the diplomatic field, as opposed to 411 men.

2. During the years 2000-2004, a Greek woman served as a Commissioner in the European Union, competent for social affairs and employment.

Article 9

1. States Parties shall grant women equal rights with men to acquire, change or retain their nationality. They shall ensure in particular that neither marriage to an alien nor change of nationality by the husband during marriage shall automatically change the nationality of the wife, render her stateless or force upon her the nationality of the husband.

2. States Parties shall grant women equal rights with men with respect to the nationality of their children.

Older provisions of the Code of Greek Citizenship, which contained discriminations between the two sexes, were modified by Law 1438/84. Later on, article 69 of Law 2910/2001 abolished deadlines that applied according to Law 1438/84 in relation to Greek and foreign women obtaining or losing Greek citizenship following their marriage to a foreign or Greek citizen respectively. Finally, the recent adoption of the Code of Greek Citizenship (Law 3284/2004, Greek Official Gazette, F.E.K. Α΄ 217) also brought about the following changes in relation to gender equality:

• A foreign woman who acquired the Greek citizenship by marriage to a Greek and maintains the citizenship she had before marriage, may lose the Greek citizenship if she declares her relevant will to the Secretary General of the Region or to the Greek Consular Authority of the place of her permanent or temporary residence. For the loss of the Greek citizenship, a certifying decision of the Secretary General of the relevant Region is issued (Article 21)^[28].

• A Greek woman, who has lost the Greek citizenship due to her marriage to a foreigner, recovers it if she declares her relevant will to the Secretary General of the Region or the Greek Consular Authority of the place of her permanent or temporary residence (Article 22)^[29].

• A child, born earlier than 8.5.1984 to a mother who was Greek at the time of childbirth or the time of marriage in which the child was born, becomes Greek, if he/she declares his/her relevant will to the Secretary General of the Region or to the Greek Consular Authority of the place of his/her permanent or temporary residence (Article 14, paragraph 1)^[30].

• A child born to a Greek father and foreign mother before law 1250/1982 came into force, provided he/she is considered a legitimate child in accordance to the provision of article 7, paragraph 3 of the above mentioned law, becomes a Greek, if he/she declares his/her relevant will to the Secretary General of the Region or to the Greek Consular Authority of the place of his/her permanent or temporary residence (Article 14 paragraph 2)^[31].

• The children of those who obtain the Greek Citizenship, according to the present article, become Greeks without any further process, provided they are minors and unmarried at the date of the declaration (Article 14 paragraph 4)^[32].

1. The Greek State has prepared a plan of coordinated actions to combat discriminations and to ensure equal rights for men and women during school training and life-long education, the first results of which already appear in statistics (Annex D).

Ι. SCHOOL VOCATIONAL ORIENTATION

2. The Research Centre for Gender Equality (Κ.Ε.TH.Ι.), in co-operation with the Departments of Education, Environmental Education & School Vocational Orientation, implemented, during the years 2003-2004, intervention programmes aiming at the promotion of equality in relation to school vocational orientation.

These programmes:

• Trained 511 men and 1,510 women teachers of Secondary General and Technical Education

• Benefited 16,864 male students and 20,209 female students of Secondary General and Technical Education

3. ΚΕTHΙ also implements a programme (2002-2006) aiming at the promotion of gender equality among male and female students of Secondary Education, and among male and female students of Initial Vocational Training, through activities favouring the development of their critical faculty, their investigative and organisational abilities-skills, co-operation, and co-creation so as to enable them to:

• recognize gender inequalities in the educational system both in their own practices and behaviour as well as in those of their teachers

• critically face the ways in which the two sexes are presented in teaching manuals, curricula, and the Mass Media

• become conscious of the patriarchal structures of society and the degraded situation of women in contemporary democracies

• become conscious of the different formation of gender identities during adolescence by school and family

• develop a consciousness of the status of the male and the female citizen, which will recognize and seek after the principles of gender equality, as a necessary element of democracy

• choose their academic and vocational orientation transcending stereotypical perceptions that reproduce vertical and horizontal vocational segregation in the labour market.

In its total extent, the programme includes 52 training courses for teachers and 700 intervention programmes.

ΙΙ. REVISION OF THE TEACHING MATERIAL

4. The Pedagogical Institute, authority competent for the teaching material used in schools

• has taken steps so that women do not appear in offensive stereotypes in Inter-thematic Integrated Curricula Frameworks (2004)

• has established a Committee for Equality, consisting of members of the Institute itself (2001)

• has introduced, already since 2000, balanced treatment of the sexes in comprehensive curricula

ΙΙΙ. PARENT TRAINING

5. In the context of the special programme «Consultation for Parents», 40-hour training courses are offered, which operate in 20-member groups. Trained educators, using suitable educational material, introduce issues and offer to parents the possibility to actively participate in educational procedures not only by exchanging experiences, but also through experiential exercises.

The basic issues concerning parents who attend these courses are:

- The family as a group

- Communication – interpersonal relations

- Growth and advancement of children and adolescents

- Family and school

During the first stage of the programme’s implementation (2003-2004), 238 courses operated in 14 Prefectures. For the second stage of the programme’s implementation (2004-2005), the operation of 254 consultation courses 51 Prefectures has been planned.

ΙV. TEACHER TRAINING IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES

6. In the context of the project “Training Teachers on the Utilization of New Information and Communication Technologies in Education”, a total number of 76,000 teachers were trained during the school years 2001-2003, 59% of which were women and 41% men.

V. LIFE-LONG EDUCATION

7. Second Chance Schools are a flexible innovative educational programme that aims at combating social exclusion of individuals who do not possess the necessary qualifications and skills required, to be able to respond to the contemporary needs of the labour market. This programme offers to people over 18 years of age, who have not completed the nine-year compulsory education, the opportunity to obtain the relevant certificate, and to evenly integrate into social, economic, and working life. More specifically, the main targets of the programme are:

• Reconnecting compulsory education drop-outs to the educational procedures

• Creating co-operation networks among the school, the local society, the business world, and education.

The curriculum covers three thematic units:

• Developing skills in language, mathematics, and communication, with special emphasis on foreign languages and informatics.

• Basic training and preparation for working life, in co-operation with local authorities

• Developing skills in the context of the personal interests of the trainees, such as athletics, music, theatre etc.

The total duration of the programme is 18 months (two 9-month periods).

Nowadays 18 Second Chance Schools operate in Greece in the following Prefectures: AITOLOAKARNANIA (Agrinion), ATTICA (Acharnes, Korydallos, Peristeri, Kallithea), ACHAIA (Patra), EVROS (Alexandroupolis), DRAMA (Drama), IOANNINA (Ioannina), ILEIA (Pyrgos), HERAKLEION (Tylissos), THESSALONIKI (Thessaloniki, Neapolis), LARISSA (Larissa), LASSITHI (Ierapetra), LESVOS (Mytilini), PELLA (Giannitsa).

Second Chance Schools are about to be established in the Prefectures of: ATTICA (Ag. Anargyroi, Piraeus), BOEOTIA (Orchomenos), EUBOEA (Aliveri), KARDITSA (Karditsa), KASTORIA (Kastoria), LARISSA (Correctional Institute), MAGNESIA (Volos), XANTHI (Xanthi), SERRES (Serres), TRIKALA (Trikala), PHTHIOTIDA (Lamia), FLORINA (Florina), FOKIDA (Amphissa).

The Greek Second Chance Schools are members of the European Network of Second Chance Schools (www.e2c-europe.org).

8. Vocational Training Institutes (V.T.I.) are not graded within the official educational system. These institutes are supplementary to the educational system, and help young people integrate in the labour market. They aim at providing any type of vocational training, initial or additional, so as to facilitate young people’s vocational integration in society, and to ensure their adjustment to the changing needs of production procedures.

As the statistical data show (Annex D), women’s participation in public Vocational Training Institutes is increased and wider than that of men (9776 women and 7681 men).

VI. INTER-CULTURAL EDUCATION

21. The Ministry of Education implements special programmes of inter-cultural education addressing:

- gypsy students (boys and girls)

- foreign and Greek repatriate students (boys and girls)

For gypsy students, special preparatory programmes are implemented; to this end, 100 permanent positions for teachers have been established, and the same number of teachers have been appointed to the respective posts. At the same time, the attendance of gypsy children is facilitated by the use of a special card of attendance, which enables them to have access to any school, omitting the official procedure of re-registration, in cases when their families suddenly move.

For Greek repatriates and foreign students, special programmes are implemented in 12 elementary schools of inter-cultural education, operating in several districts of the country. Special programmes also operate in a significant number of ordinary elementary schools of the country, where there are many Greek repatriates and foreign students. To this end, about 500 Reception Classes and 700 Tutorial Courses operated last year. To serve Reception Classes, 257 permanent positions of elementary school teachers have been established, while the rest of the positions are staffed by substitute teachers^[33].

The General Secretariat for Gender Equality and the Research Centre for Gender Equality (K.E.TH.I.) have worked out studies on socially excluded groups:

• “Gender and socially excluded groups: a study of bibliographic review”, Athens 2001,

• “Family Legal Relations of Greek Muslims”, Thessaloniki 2001,

• “Muslim Women: a study and recording of needs, working out of proposals”, Research

Ι. FIGURES CONCERNING WOMEN’S UNEMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYMENT

1. The national policies for the abolition of exclusion from the labour market are expressed in the National Action Plan for Employment valid at a time and the National Action Plan for Social Integration, and are co-financed by the European Social Fund (E.S.F.).

The E.S.F., main tool for the implementation of the European Employment Strategy, supports measures and policies concerning strategic priorities, among which are:

- Social integration in the labour market

- Gender equality

Responding to the Lisbon targets (2000) demands all member-states of the European Union (E.U.) and therefore Greece, to plan and implement policies that will take into account

1. The digital Society, the Knowledge Economy, and the transition to it

2. The investment on people, the construction of an active welfare state through the modernisation of the European social model, with cohesion and a labour market without exclusions.

2. The National Action Plan for Employment constitutes the main tool for planning and implementing employment policies. One of the guidelines of the National Action Plan is gender equality.

3.

Graph:

The participation in employment per gender illustrates three different developments:

• First, the participation percentage in men’s employment increases in a period of five years by 1,6 percentage units (from 70,9% to 72,5%) while for women by 3,3 percentage units (from 40,7% to 44%).

• Second, the rate of increase is double for women compared to that of men.

• Third, the different starting points are illustrated: the ratio of men’s participation in employment is 3 out of 4 in 2003, while the ratio of women’s participation is somewhat lower than 1 out of 2. Five years have not been a time period long enough for the achievement of a radical reversal of the above mentioned ratios.

4. The comparative performance of men and women in relation to unemployment reaffirms the picture of previous years: although women’s unemployment decreases, the gap remains very prominent.

ΙΙ. MEASURES TO ADDRESS UNEMPLOYMENT AND TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT AMONG WOMEN (2000-2004)

5. Measures adopted to address unemployment and increase employment, during the period examined:

• Participation of Organizations of Local Authorities (Α’ and Β’ grade) Enterprises, in projects for the creation of new positions of work

• Part time employment in bodies of social character. Law 3174/2003 provided, for the first time, for the possibility of recruitment of vulnerable population categories in fixed term contract part time work positions in bodies of the public sector, to cover needs of a social character. By law 3250/2004 the categories of people eligible for recruitment were redefined, through the addition of members of large families at a 10% quota and the enlargement of the category of mothers with underage children (before, the category included only mother with children up to 12 years of age), also at a 10% quota. At the same time it is provided that a quota of up to 60% of the various categories of unemployed (people up to 30 years of age, people over 30 years of age, people who are five years away from retirement age) who benefit from such employment positions will be covered by women as long as relative interest on their side is expressed, by submission of applications.

• Transformation of passive unemployment policies (cash benefits) into active policies for unemployed men and women.

• Measures for subsidised training of the unemployed.

• Expansion of the categories entitled to unemployment benefits. Unemployed men and women insured against unemployment who are or become widowers /widows are entitled to receiving the unemployment benefit despite receiving a survivor’s pension. (Till now, widows faced difficulties given that, if they became unemployed, neither were they considered to be unemployed by the Greek Manpower Employment Organization, nor were they entitled to unemployment benefit since they received a survivor’s pension, despite the fact they had been insured against unemployment, in contrast to other women, whose husbands were alive or they were divorced, because the existing legislation excluded those on pension). The new regulation guarantees not only the right to a benefit but also the right to obtain a job, making use of the measures provided, for unemployed men and women.

• Expansion of the categories entitled to participate in programmes

- Participation of Lykeio graduates in programmes for acquiring working experience (STAGE).

- Participation of scientists in programmes for new self-employed professionals (till now, engineers, lawyers, medical doctors etc, were not entitled for participation).

• Motives to increase women’s employment.

- A subsidy for the employer, equal to the amount of the employer’s contribution towards social insurance for the newly employed, is established as a motive for the recruitment of unemployed mothers with at least two children.

- Employers, who hire men or women employees on a fixed term contract, in order to substitute employees absent from work on pregnancy or confinement leave for as long as that leave lasts, receive a subsidy equal to their insurance contribution towards the social insurance of the newly employed.

- For each child they deliver, women farmers are exempted from the obligation to pay a contribution to Agricultural Insurance Organization for one (1) year following birth-giving.

• Reduction of employers’ contributions towards newly hired employees’ insurance, provided that the monthly emolument of the said employees does not exceed the sum of 200,000 drachmas (600 Euro). The measure was valid from 1-4-2001 until 31-12-2003. It provided for the reduction, by 2 percentage units, of employers’ contributions to the main pension branch of the Institution for Social Security (IKA), for full-time employees, the emolument of whom did not exceed 200.000 drs (600 Euro).

6. Adaptability of employment

Laws 2639/98 and 2874/2000:

• Regulations regarding terms of exemption from Collective Labour Agreements (Territorial Employment Pacts)

• Promotion of part-time employment and restrictions regarding working overtime

• Establishment of informal forms of employment (more specifically, temporary agency work by law 2956/2001).

• Increase of the remuneration of part-time employees by 7,5% in case they receive the minimum wages, and their working time is less than 4 hours per day.

7. Increase in labour supply and extension of the working life:

Part-time employment is a “feminine” phenomenon, in the sense that, in every country, the great (and still increasing) majority of part-time employees are women.

In Greece, in 2002, 68.3% of part-time employees were women and 31.7% men, when in the total employment, women represented 38.1% and men 61.9% of the part-time employed.

Moreover, 7.2% of women employees and 2.2% of men employees are employed part-time.

The low participation of women in employment is related both to restricted opportunities of part-time employment and to conditions of small differentiation in salary levels.

8. Gender equality

Policies concerning women can be classified in the following categories:

• Promotion of employment and entrepreneurship. It includes programmes for new positions of work for women, aiming at obtaining working experience and promoting employment of unemployed women aged 18-65.

• Reconciliation of family and working life. Positive actions concerning measures to reconciliate the family and working life of women, and to facilitate their integration into the labour market, present particular progress. Such actions are implemented by agencies of the Local Authorities all over the country, and are financed by Community and National resources^[34].

9. Promoting integration and combating discriminations against disadvantaged persons in the labour market

According to the National Action Plan for Integration 2003, the strategic choice of a substantial promotion of social integration is closely linked to facilitating access to employment for groups who are in danger of social exclusion.

In the context of promoting employment, 4 population groups are of great importance, among which women rank first.

Women’s and particularly mothers’ employment constitutes a target of strategic importance for both developmental and social reasons. In this context, the problem of single-parent families – of women rearing their children by themselves – appears as particularly severe, fully justifying the political priority attributed to it. The actions that are promoted are related to: (a) Reconciliation of family and working life – Child care, family support and (b) Special actions for women in the context of the Community Support Framework.

Article 12

1. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, access to health care services, including those related to family planning.

2. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph I of this article, States Parties shall ensure to women appropriate services in connection with pregnancy, confinement and the post-natal period, granting free services where necessary, as well as adequate nutrition during pregnancy and lactation.

Α. WOMEN AND HEALTH

Ι. THE EFFORT FOR REFORM

1. Since 2000 a great effort has started, concerning reform in the fields of Health, Mental Health, Welfare, and Development of Human Resources through the Operational Programme “Health - Welfare 2000-2006”, implemented by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Its basic targets are:

- Total operational and organizational reform of the National Health System

- Completion of the psychiatric reform in the field of Mental Health

- Reform and improvement in the field of Welfare

- Improvement of the services provided by means of life-long learning

The Operational Programme «Health –Welfare 2000-2006» contributes to the promotion of gender equality in the field of Health and Welfare with interventions aiming at a) access to the labour market b) education and vocational training c) entrepreneurship d) reconciliation of family and working life, as well as interventions concerning vulnerable groups.

In particular, in the context of Measure 4.1, priority is given to the implementation of actions for the training of the staff of the National Centre of Emergency Care (ΕΚΑV) and of the National Health System in subjects pertaining to the health of the female population of the country (e.g. breast examination, osteoporosis, but also abuse, lactation, etc).

ΙΙ. FAMILY PLANNING

2. The target of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, through the institution of Family Planning (law 1036/80) and of the National Health System (article 22 of law 1397/83), for the development of a network for the provision of Family Planning services in Greece, is progressing satisfactorily, despite any organisational operational weaknesses which include necessary staffing.

Health Agencies provide services or consultation on matters of Family Planning by trained health staff, in order to inform and sensitize citizens in the greater region of their area of influence as well as economic refugees, settlements of Roma people; they also co-operate with other bodies, such as local authorities, education, associations, women’s organisations etc. The information and sensitization of citizens is achieved by the specialist health personnel who can form their own targets to approach the community, according to the local needs, by organising campaigns, lectures, speeches, distribution of printed material, projection of transparencies, publication of relevant articles in the local press etc.

3. The Ministry of Education is responsible for information on the consequences of abortion and the indicated measures of protection against undesirable pregnancy as well as on gynecological hygiene and precaution against sexually transmitted diseases, in schools. However, let it be noted that the above mentioned trained staff is always at the disposal of schools of all levels, to provide information whenever required, though they usually contact schools on their own initiative following collaboration with the person responsible for health education in schools.

4. The collection of data about the number of abortions is very difficult because, although its characterisation as a punishable crime has been abolished by law 1609/86, women undergoing an abortion continue to ask for the implementation of medical secrecy even in public obstetrical clinics. There still does not exist any legislative regulation concerning distribution of contraceptives by insurance funds. The distribution of contraceptives by the private sector contributes to the inability of collecting relative data in our country.

5. 41 Family Planning Centres are in operation today. Some of them operate through health agencies of the Institution of Social Security (Ι.Κ.Α.) while many Health Centres provide consultation on family planning. Where there are no Centres for Family Planning, information, consultation, and printed material can be obtained by Obstetrical Gynecological medical offices of Public Hospitals.

6. The Directorate of First-degree Health Care of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in co-operation with the Directorate of Health Education and Information have proceeded to printing the following leaflets: a) Contraceptive methods “determination of fertility”, b) “Do you want to avoid abortion? Be informed about contraception” as well as to reprinting a) Slides on “Family Planning”, b) Slides on “Psychological protection”, c) Short film on “Contraception”.

ΙΙΙ. ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

7. In accordance to the provisions of law 3089/2002 on “medical support to human reproduction”, provides the terms and requirements for artificial insemination and allows unmarried women to have children in this manner.

ΙV. DISEASES TRANSMITTED BY SEXUAL CONTACT / AIDS

8. The Control Hellenic Centre for Infectious Diseases Control (K.E.E.L.), according to its establishment law (Article 26 of law 2071/1992), is the agency competent to implement actions that aim at sexual education as well as first- and second-degree care for those suffering from Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS/HIV. All interventions it carries out are oriented towards this direction.

9. Τhe declarative statement of the sero-positive to the HIV virus and of AIDS cases is obligatory in Greece. The total number of people sero-positive to HIV that were declared in our country by 30/6/2003 is about 6,521. The percentage of women is 19.04%. The disease showed an upward trend, both for men and women, but since 2000, the trend has presented a tendency for stabilisation, in the sense that the number of stated new infections per year remains stable. Out of a total of 1,214 people who were infected through the heterosexual way, 756 (62.27%) are women. This is the only transmission category in which women outnumber men. The total number of AIDS cases in Greece is 2,394, from which 339 (14.2%) are women. The reduction of AIDS cases and deaths after 1996 is attributed to the new antiretroic treatment. Out of 458 AIDS cases who were infected through the heterosexual way, 241 (52.6%) concern women.

10. The activities of the Control Centre for Special Infections which aim at women as a target group, are both informative, concerning prevention and combating AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases by means of healthy sexual behaviour and use of women’s condom, as well as supportive to Units of Special Infections in Hospitals. Additionally, the Control Centre for Special Infections participated, as a partner, in the European Inter-State Programme “Mediterranean Network for Women who face HIV Infection”, which was financed by the Ε.U. The first stage of the programme lasted from October 1999 to March 2001, and it was co-ordinated by SIDA Info Service (France). Following its renewal by the Ε.U., the second stage of the programme lasted from October 2001 to October 2002.

11. Within the framework of the Control Centre for Special Infections, which, as a partner, had the administrative responsibility of the programme (Office for Public and International Relations), the coordination and implementation of actions were assigned to the scientific staff of the Office of the Consultation Station of Infectious Diseases and AIDS hotline. Five (5) Mediterranean countries participated in the programme, with the relevant services / AIDS hotline organizations. The programme aimed at developing a network focused on women’s condition regarding HIV infection and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the countries of southern Europe, aiming at the improvement and co-ordination of the services provided in the fields of information, prevention, and medical and socio-psychological intervention. The targets of the programme are summarised as follows:

• Establishment of a national observatory for recording the services provided to women, and determining successful ways of intervention.

• Sensitization and mobilisation of governmental and non-governmental bodies dealing with matters related to HIV as well as other sexually transmitted diseases which concern the female population.

• Promotion of co-operation at the European and national level, as well as development of national networks for women.

12. The Office for Migrant Populations of the Control Centre for Special Infections implements interventions in settlements of immigrants - refugees as well as the “Street Programme” which also addresses immigrants. It has also realised a pilot programme on “Defence and Promotion of the Greek Roma People Health and their Social Integration” in co-operation with the Directorate of Welfare of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The population that was examined reached 1,500 people, half of whom were women. Instructions on contraception were given, as well as instruction on hygiene rules and family planning.

13. In addition to the Control Centre for Special Infections, the Sector of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of the National School of Public Health participates in the European programmes EUROPAP and TAMPEP, as well as in the Umbrella Project of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The EUROPAP is a European network of projects for HIV-STD prevention in prostitution and aims at supporting and developing interventions for reducing HIV, sexually transmitted and other infectious diseases’ cases among prostitutes, and determining the most effective and suitable methods for approaching prostitutes.

14. The TAMPEP (Transnational AIDS/STD Prevention among Migrant Prostitutes in Europe Project) aims at implementing and diffusing new strategies and methodologies as concerns the attempt to prevent HIV virus and Sexually Transmitted Diseases among immigrant prostitutes in Europe. The TAMPEP action focuses on prostitutes originating from countries outside the E.U. Special leaflets in Greek, Albanian, and Russian have been printed for the information of women prostitutes. The aim of the Umbrella Project in Greece has been to control, study and keep records of the epidemiological data on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in relation to foreign prostitutes, in the areas along Greek-Albanian borders and the large urban centres of Athens and Thessaloniki. For the needs of the programme, special leaflets have been printed in 3 languages (Greek, Albanian and Bulgarian) and are distributed together with condoms and lubricants as well as a monthly informational newsletter to prostitutes. The intervention in the field of the sex industry by the street group consisted of specially trained cultural mediators (peer education).

V. HEALTH EDUCATION (INFORMATION-EDUCATION)

15. During years 2000-2004, in the context of the need to inform the public, and particularly women, on health matters, the Directorate of Health Education and Information of the Ministry of Health and Welfare has distributed printed and audiovisual material on several issues related to women’s health.

VΙ. EDUCATION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

16. In the context of educational programmes on matters of Public Health provided at postgraduate level to doctors and administration staff of Health Agencies every year by the National School of Public Health, and, more specifically, the Sector of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, issues concerning diseases that appear in epidemic form or even in a smaller population scale in women are presented. Research issues or issues of bibliographical review are presented by professors or students in the form of Educational Research concerning: (1) Diseases appearing in epidemic form in women, at international, European and Greek level (2) Problems of physical health in women e.g. cancer, heart diseases, AIDS (3) Problems of psychological health in women e.g. depression, anorexia (4) Problems of social nature e.g. women’s minorities, Roma women, women immigrants.

VΙΙ. VULNERABLE SOCIAL GROUPS

17. In the context of Measure 3.1 of the Operational Programme “Health – Welfare” of the 3^rd Community Support Framework, Municipalities employ social scientists in order to establish a Network of Social Services, which will provide support services for the Socio-Economic Integration mainly of people threatened by or suffering exclusion from the labour market as well as of people who do not have access to Services and are incapable of handling their problems. The Measure is intended to be implemented in 150 Municipalities; it has already started and is being implemented in 75 Municipalities.

ROMA

18. In the framework of its competency, the Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization has implemented actions for the Greek Roma people, men and women, aiming at their social integration (see relevant report titled “First Report of Greece to the Committee for Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights of the U.N.”, Athens 2002).

19. The Ministry of Health and Welfare implements the Programme “Protection and Promotion of the Greek Gypsies Health and Social Integration” which includes the establishment of fifty (50) Socio-Medical Centres and the operation of 2 mobile medical units that organise programmes of preventive examinations (blood tests, thorax radiograph, Pap test etc). Until today, the two mobile medical units have visited 53 Roma settlements.

People with Disabilities

20. The Welfare policy for people with disabilities aims at enabling them to address the increased and special needs which result from their disability; it also aims at their social integration through the implementation of programmes of physical and social rehabilitation.

More specifically, 11 programmes of financial support are implemented in the context of the subsidiary and supplementary character of Welfare benefits as opposed to Insurance benefits, depending on the nature and degree of disability, the insurance status etc. These programmes cover all disability categories (blind, deaf, individuals with kinetic disturbances etc.). It is estimated that 165,000 people benefit from the programmes of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

21. In the field of rehabilitation, similar Rehabilitation Centres (Public Law institutions) operate all over the country, aiming at the physical, functional, and social rehabilitation, as well as education, vocational training, planning and implementing programmes in the field of disability. A characteristic example is the three large Centres operating in Athens, with branches in the rest of the country, which cover all sensory and kinetic disabilities (Centre for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind, National Foundation for the Deaf, National Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped).

22. In Greece there are also 4 (four) Centres of Recovery and Physical and Social Rehabilitation and 1 (one) Centre for the Recovery, Rehabilitation and Social Support of Disabled People operating. Moreover, the facilities for three (3) Centres of Recovery and Physical and Social Rehabilitation have been completed as well as the Centre of Recovery, Rehabilitation and Social Support of Disabled People in the city of Arta; the project is currently at the stage of equipment supply and staff recruitment which is the final stage before the beginning of the Centres’ operation. These Centres aim at the functional rehabilitation and social integration of Disabled People through the implementation of programmes and the provision of services by specialized staff.

23. Furthermore, 24 pilot Centres of Education, Social Support and Training of Disabled People operate in a respective number of Prefectures. They are in the initial stage of their operation and aim at providing equal opportunities, social integration and at avoiding the institutionalisation of handicapped people, by providing such services as:

- Socio-psychological and consultation support

- Functional rehabilitation

- Vocational orientation and training

- Education, support of autonomous existence, recreation, and athletics

24. Community Programmes implemented during this period are mentioned in Annex F of the present Report.

VΙΙΙ. TREATMENT FOR DRUG-ADDICTED WOMEN

25. Concerning special services provided to people addicted to drugs and alcohol, the Ministry of Health and Welfare develops programmes for Prevention, Recovery, and Social Rehabilitation. Services are also provided to users who do not wish to take part in a detoxification process, aiming to deal, to the extent possible, with health problems of the individual addicts and the society in general on the one hand and criminality on the other. To this end, a multilateral service network has been created to address several vulnerable population groups of addicted people such as the homeless, women prostitutes, immigrants etc. All provided services are free and the participation of interested people is voluntary.

26. More specifically, special services operating in relation to women are:

A) Health and immigrants - refugees

1. Therapeutic Intercultural Programme of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace “KIVOTOS”. With units in Eastern Macedonia (Kavala) and in Thrace (Alexandroupolis), “KIVOTOS” is the first integrated service network for the treatment of drug addiction that has been established in these geographical areas.

2. Transitional Centre for the Integration of Special Social Groups MOSAIC. It is located in Athens and addresses special social groups, such as repatriated emigrants, refugees, immigrants facing the problem of substance use. The centre offers first-degree care services for health problems, aiming at reducing damage from substance use, services for psychological treatment of drug-addiction, social and work integration and family support.

Β) Health Education in schools in relation to addiction-producing substances

1. The number of Prevention Centres operating in co-operation with the Organization against Drugs (Ο.ΚΑ.ΝΑ.) and Local Authorities reaches 63 and they cover 46 out of the 52 Prefectures of the country. They address students, parents, enlisted soldiers, teachers etc.

2. The Centre for the Treatment of Addicted People (KE.THE.A) continues to offer services through the Mobile Information Unit “PEGASUS”, as well as through integrated programmes of primary prevention implemented either in educational institutions or outside them in co-operation with local authorities.

C) Treatment for Drug - Addicted women

Special programmes for addicted mothers. An important part is played by programmes developed in recent years for the treatment of addicted mothers. Since 2000, the Centre for the Treatment of Addicted People operates a Special Programme for Addicted Mothers in Thessaloniki, where women in treatment are offered the possibility to live inside the community with their children. Unit «18 ΑΝO» of the Psychiatric Hospital of Attica operates a similar programme for addicted women with parallel childcare in Athens.

In the context of Drug Substitution Programmes, implemented in Greece by the Organization against Drugs (ΟΚΑΝΑ), addicted women at least in the third month of pregnancy have priority in joining treatment programmes. Mothers of children up to 3 years of age also have the same priority.

A special programme for addicted women began its operation in Athens, in 1995. It is the first programme of its type in Greece. Its positive results imposed the increase of positions from 10 initially, to 16 positions today. It was created to attract and integrate addicted women, especially of younger age, to a treatment programme against drug-addiction.

D) Vulnerable Population Groups and Groups in emergency situations

Treatment Programme “ΕΝ DRASI”. It is the first programme against addiction in the context of the Greek correctional system; at its core lies the Therapeutic Community of the Women’s Prison of Korydallos that goes by the same name, as well as the Reception Centre for the Released, in the centre of Athens. Moreover, it implements programmes of self-assistance in several prisons in Attica.

Ε) Childcare (of drug addicted mothers)

Treatment Programme ITHACA of the Treatment Centre for Addicted People. When children are not with their mothers, the Treatment Community ITHACA provides specially prepared facilities for childcare and creative activities, which operates under the supervision of a specialist baby nurse and a child-psychologist and includes open-air playgrounds.

F) Measures for family support

Centres for family support: Co-operation of the Centre for the Treatment of Addicted People with the families of the people under treatment.

The participation of the family in a programme against addiction positively influences the treatment’s results. All treatment programmes of the Centre for the Treatment of Addicted People provide parallel programmes of family support, addressing people of the immediate family environment of the addicted (parents, brothers and sisters, children, companions-husbands), which have about the same duration as the corresponding treatment programmes.

G) Sexually Transmitted Diseases /AIDS. Treatment of infectious diseases in drug-addicted people.

Since 1996, a programme focusing on groups of addicted living in the streets usually cut off from sources of social support and care, has been established in Athens (Exarcheia). During regular morning and evening campaigns taking place in squares, the programme’s staff approach drug-addicts and (1) Providesthem with psychological support, (2) Inform them on dangers involved in the use of narcotic substances and advise them on use of substances and sexual behavior. They also provide women prostitutes drug-addicts with condoms in order to avoid transmission of contagious diseases (hepatitis, AIDS, etc). (3) They arrange diagnostic examinations for drug-users in health agencies, (4) They organise group meetings of users with doctors during seminars on health matters. Printed material (“Survival Guide”) is also distributed in Athens to users of narcotic substances; it contains instructions for safe use, first aid, and useful addresses for cases of emergency.

ΙΧ. MENTAL HEALTH

27. The actions that have been developed in the period 2000-2004, supervised by the Directorate of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (Mental Health Units for people suffering from mental disturbances, and particularly refugees, Roma people, people suffering from senility, autism, intellectual deprival and secondary mental disturbances, and psycho-geriatrics), do not exclusively address women but patients belonging to both sexes.

The «Psychargos» Programme

28. A mental health policy was introduced in 1983 and, since 1997 it is expressed through a ten-year plan (Psychargos), which is revised every 5 years. During the first stage of the Psychargos programme (2000-2001), 55 Hostels and Boarding Schools were established and operated for the de-institutionalization of mental patients (during the above mentioned period 600 chronic patients moved out of 8 psychiatric hospitals). During the second stage, which is in the process of implementation during the years 2002 – 2006, the following have been taken into consideration: a) the continuation of de-institutionalization and de-stigmatisation, b) the sectorisation of psychiatric services all over the country and c) the establishment of detailed guarantees and procedures to protect the patients’ rights. The implementation of these actions presupposes closing down 4 psychiatric hospitals by the beginning of 2006 (substitution by community structures) and the reduction of psychiatric beds in 4 more psychiatric hospitals by 40-50 % aiming at closing these hospitals down as well, by 2015.

29. The attempt to reform the system of mental health, and particularly to de-institutionalize chronic patients, is accompanied by actions aiming at the de-stigmatisation of people with mental health disabilities. The most important of them, especially since 2001 which was characterized as “the year for mental health” by the International Health Organization (W.H.O.), are:

• The Declaration on Mental Health (April 2001) which was signed by the President of the Hellenic Republic and concerns destigmatisation.

• The declaration of Athens (June 2001) on Mental Health and anthropogenic disasters, Stigmatization, and Community Psychiatric Care. This declaration was signed during the first Session of W.H.O. for the countries of Southern and South-eastern Europe, and was adopted by the 51^st Regional Session of the W.H.O./Europe (September 2001) and the 55th International Health Assembly of W.H.O. (Μay 2002).

• The adoption of a resolution on combating stigmatisation and the establishment of community services of mental health in the annual conference of the Central Association of Municipalities and Communities of Greece (December 2002).

• The organisation of several events on mental health all over the country dealing with the issue of the modernization of mental health services, which involves less large anachronistic psychiatric hospitals and their substitution by mental health community services. These events also focused on the issue of addressing negative social attitudes.

• The publication, in Greek, of the report about World Health 2001 by W.H.O., on “Mental Health: New Perception, New Hope”, which was distributed to health and mental health services, to the Mass Media, to Municipal and Prefectural Local Authorities, to central administration, and a multitude of other bodies, agencies and operators.

• Finally, on 27-29 March 2003, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, in the context of the Greek Presidency of the E.U., organised a conference on “Mental Disability and Stigmatization in Europe: Facing the challenges of Social Integration and Equality”. The draft conclusions of the Conference are forwarded for adoption to the Council of the Ministers of Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers’ Protection, following its processing and acceptance by the health sectors of the permanent representatives in the European Union, hoping that it will further contribute substantially to the better medical treatment and social integration of people with mental disabilities.

30. As concerns the improvement of access to mental health services in rural areas, many of these areas have relatively easy access to the closest city centres where mental health services are available. In mountainous and island areas, four (4) mobile units are already in operation and the establishment of 17 more mobile mental health units has been planned, for the provision of required and necessary services during on the spot visits. These units, together with the establishment of additional Psychiatric Departments in General Hospitals and Mental Health Centres in the context of the Programme “Psychargos”, will significantly improve the provision of mental health services to the population concerned.

Χ. ACTIVITIES OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND THE Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. (Research Centre for Gender Equality)

31. In the sector of information on health matters, the role of non-governmental organizations is significant. More specifically:

• The Soroptimist groups provide informational cards and leaflets on preventive medicine in combination to programmes for practical implementation

• The League for Women’s Rights held a Public Debate on “Population problems – Family Planning - Artificial Insemination”, on 28/11/2002. Moreover, in 2002 they published an article in Women’s Struggle on “Low birth-rate in the context of the Global Population Problem”.

• The Greek Anticancer Society, which is the largest socio-medical organization in Greece, possesses 34 branches all over the country. The Association’s activities concern 1) informing the population, 2) informing health services officials, 3) early diagnosis 4) socio-psychological support of patients and their relatives, and (5) rehabilitation and post-therapeutic care of oncological patients. During the past 3 years, the Greek Anticancer Society has promoted and established October as “the month for breast cancer prevention”, mobilising the Greek society. Moreover, during the past 3 years, the Greek Anticancer Society has operated and is still operating the Breast Care Network, which constitutes the pioneering implementation of an integrated information and support system for women on issues concerning breast health and, in particular, breast cancer. The main axis of the Network’s activities is a hotline (and, in the near future, the Internet).

• In March 2002, the Greek Society of Mastology established the Socio-psychological Support Centre “Elli Lambeti” for Women suffering from Breast Cancer and their Families. The Centre provides free services to all women with a recent breast cancer diagnosis or women on medical treatment for breast cancer, and to people of their close family environment coming to direct contact and undertaking part of the care for these women. Moreover, the Greek Society of Mastology holds informational events in Athens as well as in the rest of the country on “Information for protection against breast cancer which threatens health and life” while it has also printed leaflets which provide medical information on matters related to breast cancer.

32. A mobile unit of the Herakleion/Crete Branch of the Research Centre for Gender Equality held an informational event on issues of Family Planning, Contraception, Menopause, and Osteoporosis, on 10/7/2002. On 4^th and 5^th/1/2001 they organized a Seminar for the Sensitization of Girls regarding the Gender Dimension during Adolescence. During the time period from September 2000 to May 2001, a pilot mobile information unit, offering information on a range of matters, among which Woman and Health, operated on a pilot basis. Also, in December 2001 the Research Centre for Gender Equality worked out a study on «Management of Mental Illness».

Β. WOMEN AND SOCIAL WELFARE

Ι. COMBATING POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION

33. Measure 3.1 of the Operational Programme «Health – Welfare 2000-2006» of the 3^rd Community Support Framework (2000-2006) is oriented towards the development of first- degree social care through provision of services at a local level. The operation of the Measure is directly connected to the establishment of a Network of Social Services and it will be implemented in about 150 Municipalities of the country. In the context of Measure 3.1, services of a supportive nature will become available, aiming at combating poverty and social exclusion. One of the main axes of the Network of Social Services is the provision of supportive services to combat direct or indirect exclusion from labour market.

ΙΙ. OFFICES OF SOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICES

34. The Offices of Social Support Services address everyone who faces accumulated exclusion problems and is not covered by Welfare services or services for employment and training. The people served belong to following categories: people with disabilities, people providing care to dependent members of their families and facing, for this reason, difficulties in entering or remaining in the labour market, single-parent families, abused women, repatriated emigrants, immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees, Roma people, people with linguistic and religious particularities, ex prisoners, ex drug-addicts, the homeless, the unemployed and other categories of people who experience or are threatened with social exclusion and exclusion from the labour market. The scientific personnel of the Offices of Social Support Services provide the following services:

- Socio-psychological support and consultation

- Empowerment and activation of the interested parts

- Sensitizing and informing employers and enterprises

- Support and reinforcement of the families of the people involved

- Development of co-operation with social bodies of the local community

- Evaluation of the work and results regarding forwarding to employment and socio-economic integration or re-integration of beneficiaries.

ΙΙΙ. NATIONAL CENTRE OF EMERGENCY SOCIAL CARE

35. The National Centre of Emergency Social Care was established as a decentralized unit of the National Organization for Social Care (EOKF) on the basis of Article 13 of law 2646/98, and, later on, changed into an independent Public Law Institution (Law 3106/2003), located in Athens, under the supervision and control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The National Centre of Emergency Social Care addresses people in need of immediate social care and support and, more specifically, adults facing crisis situations, children and young people deprived of family care, victims of violence or neglect, women victims of violence or solitary old people. More specifically, the services provided include:

a) Emergency social interventions,

b) Temporary provision of shelter, food, and clothing,

c) Information on Welfare matters,

d) Consultation support at individual, group, and community levels,

e) Coordination and implementation of programmes of social solidarity and volunteerism in order to face emergencies,

f) Short-term psychological assistance to individuals, families, and population groups.

36. The National Centre of Emergency Social Care is composed of the following organisational units:

-The Coordination Centre

-The Regional Units offering Welfare services to relevant cases, which are:

a. Centres for Social Support offering services of consultation and psychological support to people visiting them.

b. Shelters for short-term (a few hours) accommodation, receiving people in need for immediate accommodation to further promote them to services of social care.

c. Shelters for short- and medium-term accommodation, receiving people who belong to vulnerable population groups (women, mothers, adolescents, people with disabilities) and experience an emergency situation (violence, neglect, exploitation, lack of accommodation - food).

37. To promote the services of the National Centre of Emergency Social Care, a publicity programme was launched through Mass Media, including the use printed material, while, in order to define demand, to record and monitor the management of cases, a relevant project has been authorised, in the context of the Operational Programme “Information Society”.

ΙV. VOLUNTEERISM – NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

38. Τhe Ministry of Health and Welfare, putting special emphasis on the role that volunteer, non-profit, and non-governmental organizations can play in the field of social care and health, and, in order to facilitate their co-operation with the public sector, established the Department of Volunteerism and Accreditation of Operators, which belongs to the Directorate of Social Welfare and Solidarity, in November 2000. Among others, the competencies of the Department include:

- Elaboration of the relevant legal framework

- Keeping a National and Prefectural Register of Private Sector non-profit Social Care Operators, as well as the Special Register of Volunteer non-Governmental Organisations

- Studying and contributing to measures for the development and promotion of voluntary services in the field of social welfare

- Defining moral motives – distinctions for voluntary activities.

V. VULNERABLE GROUPS

Immigrants - Refugees

39. The Greek immigrant policy, as defined by law 2910/01 and its amendments, aims, on the one hand at setting down the rules for immigration and residence of aliens in Greek territory, and, on the other hand, at guaranteeing their fundamental rights and facilitating their integration in the Greek society. The Immigration Policy Institute (Presidential Decree 188/1.8.2002) was established for the research on and implementation of immigration policy, including issues concerning social and cultural integration of immigrants. Additionally, Presidential Decree 295/19.9.2001 on the establishment of the Directorate of Aliens and Immigration in the Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization established a Department for Social Integration to handle such issues.

40. Greek legislation recognizes to foreign nationals rights concerning insurance and social protection, equal to the respective rights of Greek citizens, provided they have legal residence in the country. The right to family reunion is guaranteed. Legal residence in the country does not constitute a prerequisite for the registration of foreign children in public schools. The personnel of medical institutions are obliged to provide services to foreign nationals transferred for urgent hospitalisation, as well as to minors children, irrespective of the legality of their residence in Greece.

41. The Greek State, recognizing the objective difficulties concerning access of moving populations to the structures of the National Health System, develops complementary actions. In the context of the Control Centre for Special Infections, recording, control, and epidemiologic monitoring of these populations takes place (aliens, both legal and illegal, refugees etc.). The “Street Programme” is also implemented, aiming at informing as well as providing medical care and socio-psychological support of immigrants.

42. In 2002, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner in Greece signed a Memorandum of Co-operation, in a common effort to promote the rights of women and underage girls who have been offered asylum or have applied for asylum or have been granted humanitarian status in Greece according to the Geneva Convention of 1951 and Presidential Decree 61/1999. A result of this coordinated action has been the issuing of a circular by the Chief of the Greek Police regarding detention and the conditions of detention of people applying for asylum, wherein there is special reference to the treatment of detained women.

43. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the European Refugee Fund finance the operation of structures for the reception and integration of refugees and people seeking asylum, by non-governmental organizations (Greek Institute for Solidarity and Co-operation, Greek Red Cross, Greek Council on Refugees, Doctors of the World, etc.) Special emphasis is placed on vulnerable groups of refugee population, and, more specifically, on war and torture victims, minors, single-parent families, people with disabilities, women, and people with special health problems.

44. The Ministry of Health and Welfare finances, inter alia, the operation of a Centre for Unaccompanied Children, 15-18 years of age (seeking asylum) at Anogeia/Crete. In co-operation with the Greek Refugee Council, the Programme “PROMETHEUS” has been operating since 2002 in Pikermi/Attica, focusing on minors, vulnerable cases, and families with children. At the same time, it participates in Community Programmes (e.g. “Pyxida”, “Hotline for Information and Support of Refugees” etc.) aiming at the rehabilitation and integration of refugees in Greece through such actions as daycare for children, accommodation, and vocational training.

45. The U.N. High Commission for Refugees finances, inter alia, the Greek Council on Refugees and the Social Work Institute, for the provision of special legal, social and economic services to vulnerable groups, which include women heads of families and women victims of tortures or sexual violence, and the creation of inter-cultural centres for women refugees (with kindergarten and Greek language courses) where the rapprochement of these women and women of the local society is promoted.

46. The U.N. High Commission also finances the programmes “NEFELI” and “EVA” of the Social Work Institute. “ΝΕFELI” is a programme of organized and supervised accommodation and concerns renting apartments of 2-3 rooms, which are inhabited by vulnerable groups of refugees, mainly women. Costs of accommodation, food and transportation are provided, as well as socio-psychological support, consultation and information on legal, medical, health, work, educational issues, etc. At the same time, they participate in Greek language courses, while, through contacts with local societies, their education and occupational rehabilitation is promoted. “ΕVΑ” is a programme for the integration of women refugees. It aims at their empowerment through enrichment of their knowledge and capacities, and their integration in the labour market and the local community. Special emphasis is placed on women’s health care and consultation is provided in relation to gynecological matters, matters of hygiene, nutrition, contraception. Children’s vaccination and first aid are also provided. Actions aiming at their obtaining vocational capacities and increasing their employability are also developed.

47. The Doctors of the World operate overnight shelters in the centre of Athens for those seeking asylum. The programme also provides for medical care through the Open Multi-clinic, ensures more permanent accommodation and work through the Social Service, legal information and psychological support. They help individuals in need and refugees in the region, using mobile units. At the same time, they operate a structure of creative occupation for immigrant children.

48. The “Medecins sans Frontieres” of Greece, operate programmes providing primary health care to immigrants, refugees, and repatriated emigrants and trying to satisfy their social or legal demands. The Multi-clinic in Athens provides not only accompanying supportive services, but medical support, too, aiming at reinforcing and encouraging immigrants and refugees, developing their social skills, and preventing their social exclusion. They also operate an Office for the Reception and Information of Immigrants and Refugees, which provides reception and primary socio-psychological and legal support as well as further support by forwarding them to specialized agencies of legal, psychological and occupational support.

49. The Greek Women’s Association organized a congress in 2001 on “Immigration and the Demographic problem”.

50. In the context of the European programme DAPHNE 2002, under the title “MALIKA”, and with the Centre for Vocational Training ERGON as a partner, a “Good Practice Guide” was created and published, addressing employees working with refugees, and aiming at the promotion and adjustment of “Instructions for Asylum Seekers, regarding gender issues” already existing in other countries.

51. The Soroptimistic Association of Greece organizes social events and bazaars, the proceeds of which are offered to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in Greece. They also finance Greek or English language courses for foreign children, provide computer courses as well as medical services to women immigrants and refugees, distributes medical information leaflets, help refugee families materially and morally. They produced and distributed an informational leaflet on the institutional status of immigrants in Greece.

52. The Representation in Greece of the U.N. High Commission for Refugees implements a series of actions in favour of women asylum seekers and refugees. They visit frontier areas where massive arrivals of immigrants and refugees take place and carry out training seminars for local authorities, concerning special protection and care for women seeking asylum. They carry out seminars in the National School for Judges and the National School of Public Administration, where emphasis is given to issues concerning women refugees. The Police Academy has included these seminars in its curriculum. In the context of the information and sensitization actions, for both public opinion and authorities, on issues concerning women refugees, they gave press conferences, published leaflets and a magazine, organized a concert in the Athens Concert Hall, conducted seminars for non-governmental organisations. They distributed to the authorities a manual οn the procedure of defining refugee status, as well as a collection of information about the refugees’ countries of origin, which includes the reasons for providing protection to women. They distributed a special handbook on “Sexual Violence/Gender-based violence against women refugees” to non-governmental organisations and lawyers. In 2004, they conducted and published a survey on women’s and children’s conditions in the existing asylum seekers’ reception centres all over Greece. Every year they forward to the Ministry of Public Order the “Annual Report on the Protection of Refugees” of the Athens Bureau of the U.N. High Commission for refugees, which includes comments on the treatment of women refugees in Greece. They annually publish a volume of Jurisprudence on matters concerning refugees and asylum seekers, including women’s issues. This addresses the lawyers’ and judges’ community and constitutes a reference and evaluation manual for a more effective protection of refugees.

Roma

53. In the context of the Integrated Action Plan for the Greek Roma people, responsible for which is the Interministerial Committee coordinated by the Minister of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, actions to address Roma’s social exclusion have been implemented since 1997. In the field of housing, supportive housing projects were completed or are under way in the districts of 53 Local Authorities Organizations, where there are Roma tent settlements. Housing loans have also been granted to Greek Gypsies, for buying, having built or completing the construction of a residence. In the field of education-training, educational programmes addressing Roma children were implemented in 30 areas of the country. In the field of employment, programmes of employment, training, and supplementary and supportive services have been implemented. The Ministries of Civilization and of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization implement cultural programmes in all areas where there are Roma inhabitants. Sports programmes were implemented by the General Secretariat for Sport in co-operation to Organizations of Local Authorities^[35].

VΙ. CARE FOR THE ELDERLY AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

54. In the context of the 3^rd Community Support Framework, the operation of Daycare Centres for the Elderly as well as new units of “ASSISTANCE AT HOME” has been approved. These programmes aim at caring for the elderly as well as people with disabilities, in order to provide women who have undertaken the care of such people, with the opportunity to enter the labour market. Daycare Centres for the Elderly are the Units for Daily Accommodation of people incapable of full autonomy and self-service (kinetic disabilities, senility, etc), whose family environment has work responsibilities or face serious social and economic problems or health problems and cannot respond to the needs of these people. Every Daycare Centre for the Elderly needs a lisence for its establishment and operation. The Daycare Centres for the Elderly are operationally connected to Centres of Open Protection of the Elderly, which may operate in the same area. They also cooperate with Local Agencies that provide social services and implement similar programmes, as well as with Health Units.

55. Inpatient care is provided by the Care Units for the Elderly, which are entities of private law, of a non-profit or profit-oriented character. Their legal operational framework follows the provisions of Law 2345/95.

56. Moreover, in the field of protection of old age, the following programmes are implemented: Housing Assistance Programme, Pension for the Uninsured, “TELE-ASSISTANCE AT HOME” as well as participation in summer camps, and medicinal bath therapies for the elderly.

VΙ. WELFARE CHART

57. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has created and established a Welfare Chart, in which the Services and Structures for Social Care at a pan-hellenic level are recorded and classified. The existing Welfare structures and the programmes of social care that are under way per Municipality, Prefecture and Region are recorded for the first time in this Chart. The Welfare Chart also provides the opportunity for their evaluation.

Ι. STRUCTURE OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

1. In Greece agriculture plays an important role in national economy. The labour force employed in agriculture, though significantly reduced in recent decades, still constitutes the largest part of the total active population of the country.

Concerning the women’s labour force in fishery, it is noted that its percentage is still smaller than that of women employed in agriculture.

However, the fact that the exit rate of women, as well as that of men, from the field seems to have been decreasing significantly in recent years must be considered encouraging. This trend can be attributed to the fact that supportive measures for young men and women farmers have been expanding.

It is noted that, in rural areas, agriculture continues to constitute the main occupation of about 60% of the total number of working women.

ΙΙ. STATISTICAL DATA CONCERNING WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN

THE PRIMARY SECTOR

2. According to the National Statistical Service of Greece data, the recorded participation of women in primary production per position in the profession, is as follows:

Table 1:

Employed in the primary sector per position in profession for years 2000-2003, 2^nd quarter

Source : N.S.S.G.

Data Processing: ΚΕTHΙ, Documentation Department

Graph 1

Changes in women’s employment in the primary sector per position in profession, in thousands, for years 2000-2003

Graph 1a:

Percentage Changes in Women’s Employment in primary sector per position in profession, for the years 2000-2003

Source : Directorate of Agricultural Domestic Economy, Bureau for Equality, ministry for Agriculture

Data Processing : ΚΕTHΙ, Documentation Department

ΙΙΙ. LEGISLATIVE REGULATIONS

3. Article 1 paragraph 5 (d) of law 2332/1995 on “Registry of Farmers and Agricultural Enterprises and other provisions” recognizes that “head of an agricultural enterprise can be any person, independently of gender”.

4. Article 1 paragraph 2 of law 3147/2003 on “Regulation of issues pertaining to rural land, resolution of matters concerning reinstated and reinstating stock farmers and other provisions” substituted sub-case (aa) of case (a) of paragraph 1 of article 24 of the Agricultural Code as follows:

aa) “married farmers. Between spouses in married couples of farmers, the person who is responsible for the administration of the agricultural enterprise is the beneficiary. Concerning landlessness, the property of the other spouse is taken into consideration».

Moreover, article 8 paragraph 1 of the above mentioned law includes the following:

“Fields that were granted or are being granted to married farmers, according to the provisions of sub-case aa’ of case a’ of paragraph 1 of article 24 of the Agricultural Code, as modified by article 1 of the present law, may be sold with consent of the other member of the couple. If spouses disagree, the competent Court of First Instance sees to it, and judges according to the procedure of article 739 and next, to the Code of Civil Procedure, upon request of any of the spouses and decides about the sale, if this is imposed by reasons of definite or evident benefit”.

The provisions of the new legislation have abolished discriminations against reinstating women as landless farmers, since granting an agricultural lot in the past exclusively concerned married or unmarried male farmers, who could sell the lot that had been granted to them when married, without the consent of their spouse.

ΙV. INSURANCE PROTECTION OF WOMEN FARMERS

5. Concerning the insurance protection of women farmers by the Agricultural Insurance Organization, the following legislative regulations have been passed, aiming at the elimination of problems created by optional insurance of one of the spouses working in the family’s agricultural enterprise in the Main Insurance Branch. Since one of the spouses had the right to be exempted of the Main Insurance Branch contributions, following a statement of consent of both spouses, the relevant provision usually operated at the expense of women, and this is the reason why the Organisation of Agricultural Insurance has proposed its abolition and the promotion of obligatory insurance of both spouses.

6. Concerning maternity protection, women insured in the main insurance branch who give birth to a second child or any child after the second child are exempted, for a certain period of time, from the obligation to pay insurance contributions.

7. Moreover, the amounts for Pregnancy and Confinement benefits as well the Childbirth financial aid have been readjusted as follows:

a) Benefits for pregnancy and confinement up to the sum of the 1^st insurance category of article 4 of law 2458/97

b) Childbirth Financial Aid up to 50% of the amount of the insurance category of the previous section, if the childbirth takes place in a hospital-obstetrical clinic in which, according to the legislation in force for the Agricultural Insurance Organisation, obstetrical care is not paid by Organisation or is free.

c) In case of twins or triplets etc., who are alive on the date of application for benefits, the pregnancy and confinement benefits increase by 50% for each child after the first one.

V. FISHERY

8. In the field of fishery, the percentage of women is even smaller than that of women employed in agriculture.

9. When women work in the field of fishery, they are usually employed in processing fishery products (processing frozen produce, cannery, preparation of smoked and salted food) and in trade.

10. According to data of the Directorate of Fishery Applications & Fishery Production Input of the Ministry of Agriculture, women’s employment in processing fishery products for the years 2001-2003, is shown in the following table:

Table 2 :

Employees in Fishery per gender and conditions of employment, years 2001-2003

Graph 2 :

Percentages, per gender, of the employed in Fishery, 2001

Employed (%) per gender in Fishery, 2001

Men

49%

Women

51%

Men

Women

Graph 2.1 :

Employed in Fishery, per gender and conditions of employment, 2001

Men employed in Fishery, 2001

Seasonal 255

50%

50%

Permanent 644

Seasonal 650

Women employed in Fishery, 2001

79%

Permanent 985

21%

Graph 2.2 :

Percentages, per gender, of the employed in Fishery, 2002

Employees (%) per gender in fishery, 2002

Women

Men

56%

Women

44%

Men

Graph 2.3 :

Percentages, per gender, of the employed in Fishery, 2003

Graph 2.4 :

Employees per gender and conditions of employment in Fishery, 2003

Source : Directorate of Fishery Applications & Fishery Production Input, Ministry of Agriculture

Data Processing: ΚΕTHΙ, Documentation Department

VΙ. WOMEN’S COOPERATIVES

11. The establishment of Women’s Cooperatives, which started in 1983 with the support of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, is a milestone of a new dynamic field of tapping into the potential of rural women.

12. Nowadays there are 111 women’s agro-tourist cooperatives and agro-manufacture cooperatives. In recent decades, cooperatives have demonstrated great vigour. We should note, however, the problems that they mainly face in the distribution/trading of the products or services they provide.

13. Article 3 of law 2810/2000 on “Agricultural Cooperatives” has modified the prerequisites for the establishment of agricultural cooperatives, demanding, from now on, signatures of at least seven (7) persons for the drafting of the cooperative’s statute, abolishing the requirement for 20 or even 50 members, posed by older laws. This modification facilitates the establishment of agricultural co-operatives in small agricultural communities, and, consequently, contributes to the establishment of favourable prerequisites for women’s employment in rural communities.

14. The General Secretariat for Gender Equality, trying to support and reinforce women-members of cooperatives, has included them -as beneficiaries- in the Pan-hellenic Programme “Integrated interventions in favour of women” which is implemented with the co-operation of regional partnerships, through Action Plans. A lot of women’s cooperatives participate as partners in these Action Plans.

VΙΙ. EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR WOMEN-FARMERS

15. The Organization of Agricultural Vocational Education, Training and Employment (Ο.G.Ε.Ε.Κ.Α.) “DIMITRA” has implemented during the years 2001-2003 (See following Tables):

• Training for young men and women farmers. The main aim of training was to inform and educate young farmers on the improvement of their entrepreneurial capabilities and the strengthening of their position in agricultural enterprise. For the period between 1-1-2001 and 31-12-2003, a total of 2,141 women were trained (i.e. 31.27% of the total number of trainees).

• Intensive training courses on apiculture in co-operation with the Directorate of Animal Production of the Ministry of Agriculture from 1-7-2003 to 31-7-2003, in which a total number of 152 women beekeepers took part and were trained (i.e. 25.33% of the total number of trainees).

16. Events-conferences for the information and sensitization of women farmers and rural women:

• Conferences held by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality in co-operation with the GESASE (General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Greece), the Ministry of Agriculture and other bodies, to inform members of Women’s Cooperatives as well as rural women. (Such as: the Panhellenic Meeting of Women’s Cooperatives, Athens 2000, Conference on “Woman and Countryside”, Aliartos 2001, “Panhellenic Meeting of Women Farmers”, November 2002)

• A two-day educational seminar for members of women’s cooperatives on 12^th and 13^th September 2003 at the Centre “Dimitra” of Thessaloniki, in co-operation with the Directorate of Agricultural Domestic Economy and the European Centre for Agricultural Information of the American Agricultural School. Fifty (50) delegations of women’s cooperatives participated.

• Publication of an informative leaflet by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality by the title “WOMAN AND COUNTRYSIDE”.

17. Research/studies:

• “Description of Women’s Cooperatives”, October 2000, conducted by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, the Panhellenic Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives Unions and the Ministry of Agriculture.

• “Establishment of a Network for the Interconnection Women’s Cooperatives”, a study conducted by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, in the context of the Panhellenic Meeting of Women’s Cooperatives (18- 20/2/2000).

• “Study of the Equality of Opportunities between men and women and Agricultural Development”, National Centre for Social Research-Institute of Civic and Agricultural Sociology, April 2000.

• “Description of the women’s image at coastal areas with emphasis on significant fishing centres”, University of Athens – Department of Zoology and Marine Biology, Athens 2003.

Note by the Secretariat: The Annexes and Appendix to the present report will be made available to the members of the Committee in the language in which they were received.

ANNEX Α

(ARTICLE 5)

ACTIONS –INITIATIVES FOR THE ELIMINATION OF STEREOTYPES

1. During the current school year, K.E.TH.I. (the Research Centre for Gender Equality, supervised by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality) has implemented intervention programmes, among which there are some that concern the general subject of "Gender and Μass Media", with informative meetings in schools, in the context of the programme “Sensitization of Teachers and Intervention Programmes to promote Gender Equality” (Action Category 4.1.1.a) which is integrated in the Priority Axis 4 of the Operational Programme “Education and Initial Vocational Training ΙΙ” (“Measures to improve women’s access and position in the labour market”), aiming at promoting Gender Equality in the sector of Secondary Education and Initial Vocational Training, introducing the relevant theme in school procedures.

The Athens News Agency gives particular emphasis on such matters as: programmes for the elimination of violence against children, adolescents and women, conferences on gender equality or improvement of women’s position in fields like the armed forces, events illustrating the legal and social dimensions of women’s position or in relation to the sex industry and illegal trafficking in women, information campaigns initiated by Greek commissioners or members of the European Parliament for the elimination of discriminations in work places, events of journalists’ organisations concerning women’s presence in the Greek Press or gender stereotypes in Mass Media, awards for enterprises that promote women to high responsibility positions, conferences on culture and peace with the participation of women creators or women playwrights and directors, and, finally, conferences of organisations concerning the woman’s image in the Mass Media, etc.

The Athens News Agency also participates in “Development Co-operation for Equality and Social Cohesion”, a programme in the context of the EQUAL Initiative, together with 23 more institutions, and in the framework of this cooperation, an international conference has recently taken place on: “The attitude of Mass Media towards phenomena of racism and xenophobia”, which included phenomena of racism against foreign women.

The above mentioned programme started in the beginning of 2002 and was completed by the end of 2004, financed by 70% by the European Union and by 30% by the Greek Public Sector.

Apart from the Athens News Agency, other participants of the above mentioned co-operation were: the UNICEF, the Development Company of the Municipality of Athens, the Medecines sans Frontieres, the National Youth Institute, the Greek Network of Enterprises for Social Cohesion, the Athens Labour Centre, the Social Work Institute, The Lambrakis Institute of Studies, the Militant and Cultural Solidarity Centre, the Centre for Employment and Entrepreneurship of the Municipality of Athens, the Centre for Studies and Documentation of the Federation of Teachers of Secondary Education, the KYPEKO (Centre for the Support of Vulnerable Social Groups) of the Municipality of Acharnes, Federation of Workers and Employees of the Textile – Clothing – Leather Industry, the Children’s SOS Villages, the University of Athens – Department of Mass Media, the ELYROS Company, the Vocational Training Centre “Ergon”, the Vocational Training Centre “Akmon”, ΤΕΚΜOR, the Ethiopian Community, the Albanian Community, the Union of Immigrant Workers from Bangladesh, and the Association of Albanian Immigrants.

2. In the context of the EQUAL Community Initiative, the Work “DREAM – Combating racism and xenophobia in the Mass Media” has been implemented, since 2002, by the Development Partnership – Network for combating racism and xenophobia in the Mass Media, financed by 75% by the European Social Fund and by 25% by the Ministry of Employment and Welfare. The participants in this programme are:

➢ ΚΕDΚΕ - CENTRAL UNION OF MUNICIPALITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF GREECE

➢ ΤΕP - REGIONAL TELEVISION OF GREECE

➢ ASSOCIATION OF DAILY REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS

➢ PANHELLENIC FEDERATION OF PONTOS ASSOCIATIONS (PΟPS)

➢ FEDERATION OF ASSOCIATIONS OF GREEKS FROM NORTHERN EPIRUS «AGIOS ΚΟSΜΑS»

➢ ΜΑCΕDΟΝΙAN NEWS AGENCY S.A.

➢ VOCATIONAL EDUCATION CENTRE “CONSUL”

➢ GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF COMMUNICATION AND GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF INFORMATION (EX MINISTRY OF PRESS AND MASS MEDIA)

➢ GREEK RADIO-TELEVISION ΕRΤ3

➢ GREEK OBSERVATORY OF THE HELSINKI CONVENTIONS «COMPANY OF COMMUNICATION AND POLITICAL RESEARCH – Ε.P.S.Ε.

➢ MUNICIPAL ORGANISATION OF SOCIAL INTERVENTION AND HEALTH (D.Ο.Κ.P.Υ.)

➢ GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF EMIGRANT HELLENISM

➢ THE ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI – COMMITTEE OF RESEARCH

➢ ΑGISΟ (ASSOCIATION OF SETTLERS OF THE AGIA SOFIA SETTLEMENT, MUNICIPALITY OF ECHEDOROS)

➢ DIMITRA – CENTRE OF INFORMATION AND EDUCATION S.A.

➢ COMPANY OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SUPPORT OF REPATRIATED GREEK EMIGRANTS «ΝΟSΤΟS»

➢ VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE “ΕDΙP”, ADMINISTRATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISE – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

The programme mainly aims at combating discriminations against social groups – victims of racism, through the active participation of all organizations involved, taking into consideration the power of the Mass Media in the formation of public opinion. More specifically:

Α. In the Mass Media, as a place of work, creating conditions that will allow democratic representation in employment of individuals of the above mentioned groups.

Β. In the Mass Media, as agencies which form and influence public opinion, in order to combat stereotypes and biases that make the access of the above mentioned social groups to the labour market difficult.

The equality of opportunities for both men and women also concerns all stages of the DREAM Plan. Among proposed activities, the following are included:

• Programmes of training in professions related to the Mass Media

• Collection, evaluation, and adjustment of material on discriminations in the Mass Media

• A field study at the place of work of Mass Media employees, concerning the way in which they regard and depict “vulnerable” social groups.

• Creation and application of educational material for employees in the Mass Media

• Training seminars for employees in the Mass Media, aiming at their sensitization on the struggle against discriminations, etc.

3. With the participation of the Journalists’ Union of the Athens Daily Newspapers (E.S.I.E.A.), the 25^th World Conference of the International Journalists’ Federation took place in Athens (25-30 May 2004); it included a special thematic unit titled: “Creating solidarity for Gender Equality”.

All subjects of the Conference’s agenda were related to women – conflicts, strategies to address challenges of globalisation, quality in the mass media and the future working programme of the IFJ (International Federation of Journalists). The panel examined the reasons why gender issues are still marginal, how to bring the action plan for equality at the core of the IFJ work, and the role of training. A crucial issue was the need for regional areas’ voice to be heard.

ANNEX B

(ARTICLE 6)

GENERAL SECRETARIAT FOR GENDER EQUALITY (2004)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Sample statistical development of data on women’s abuse

MAIN CONCLUSIONS

The activities of the Consultation Centres of Athens - Piraeus of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, during the period from 01/01/2004 to 31/10/2004, have been as follows:

• Appointments: 728

• Telephone calls: 2302

➢ 16% of the women who contacted the Consultation Centres, during the time period from 01/01/2002 to 31/10/2004, were foreign nationals. It is noted that of the total number of foreign women – victims of domestic violence, approximately, 4 out of 10 come from the Balkans.

➢ The majority of women-victims of domestic violence, (64%) belong to the age group from 31 to 50 years.

➢ 67% of the women having suffered abuse and contacted the Consultation Centres in Athens and Piraeus, are married.

➢ Concerning the educational level of women who visited the Consultation Centres of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, it is worth-noting that, approximately, 7 out of 10 are graduates of Secondary, Technological or Tertiary Education Institutes. The common belief that abused women are usually of low educational level is not confirmed^[36]. Consequently, women may become victims of violence, regardless of their educational level.

➢ Of particular interest is the fact that approximately 6 out of 10 women who suffered abuse and visited the Consultation Centres of Athens - Piraeus mentioned that they are of a medium or good financial situation.

➢ Out of the total sample of women who visited the Consultation Centres of Athens and Piraeus, only 22% stated that they had suffered abuse in the past (by father, mother, brother, etc.), while the remaining 78% stated that they had not been victims of abuse in the past.

Consequently, tolerance of violent behaviour does not necessarily imply abuse of the woman-victim in the past (by father, mother or brother).

➢ It is worth-noting that 1 out of 3 women victims of domestic violence 33% had suffered abuse (psychological, physical or sexual) by the perpetrator before deciding to marry him. However, this fact did not prevent them from getting married to the perpetrator.

➢ Concerning the relationship between the woman-victim and the perpetrator, in 82% of the cases, the perpetrator is the husband of the victim, 11% he is the partner, while the percentage of cases of women’s abuse in which the perpetrator belongs to their family or social environment is lower.

➢ Examination of the duration of the relationship between woman-victim and perpetrator, showed that approximately 5 out of 10 women-victims of domestic violence have been in the relationship for more than 16 years.

➢ The majority of women that contacted the Consultation Centres of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, during the period from 01/01/2002 to 31/10/2004, had suffered – at a percentage of 65%- a combination of psychological and physical violence, 21% of them had suffered psychological, physical, and sexual violence, while 14% of them had suffered psychological violence.

➢ 3 out of 4 women-victims of domestic violence had sought help in the past (Police, Courts, Hospitals, Welfare Services etc.), before contacting the Consultation Centres of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality. This implies the existence of real need and interest on behalf of the women themselves regarding their disengagement from the abusive relationship.

➢ 40% of women who contacted the Consultation Centres of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality from 01/01/2002 to 31/10/2004, sought socio-psychological support, 19% of them sought legal advice, 19% needed a combination of the above mentioned provided services, while the remaining 8% sought accommodation at a shelter, as well.

➢ Regarding the age distribution of perpetrators, about 6 out of 10 are from 31 to 50 years old.

➢ Concerning the educational level of perpetrators, approximately 6 out of 10 perpetrators are graduates of Secondary, Technological or Tertiary Education Institutes. The above data essentially contradict the predominant perception according to which, one of the basic reasons for violent behaviour is the low educational level of perpetrators. According to a research by Eurobarometer^[37], which registers European public opinion in relation to domestic violence, 84,5% of the Greeks who took part in the research replied that they consider low educational level as a factor leading to demonstration of violent behaviour against women.

➢ Concerning the employment status of the perpetrators, it seems that 8 out of 10 perpetrators of domestic violence are employed. This finding refutes the common belief according to which, one of the predominant factors for demonstrating violent behaviour is unemployment. According to the Eurobarometer^[38] research, 88% of the Greeks who participated in this research replied that they consider unemployment as a factor leading to demonstration of violent behaviour against women.

➢ Concerning the use of narcotic substances by the perpetrators, 62% of them do not make any use, as mentioned by women-victims of domestic violence, while 38% make use of such substances. According to the research of Eurobarometer^[39], which registers European public opinion on domestic violence, percentages 95,7% and 94,4% of the Greeks, who participated in the research, replied that they consider alcoholism and the use of narcotics/medicinal products for mental disturbances, respectively, as factors leading to demonstration of violent behaviour against women.

ANNEX C

(ARTICLE 7)

ACTIONS

• A Panhellenic campaign of information and sensitization for the largest possible participation of women as candidates for elections, and also, the reinforcement of their eligibility, through TV and radio messages as well as printed material and visits of executives of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality and the Regional Committees for Equality to the 13 Regions of the country aiming at informing citizens (Prefectural/Municipal-National Parliamentary elections)

• A Panhellenic Conference on “Women and Local Authority: New Dynamics in Local Communities”, where the newly-elected women prefectural and municipal officers (elected in October 2002) were invited to participate for information and empowerment, Athens, 18/12/2002 (Co-organized by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality of the Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, and ΚΕDΚΕ).

• European Conference (Greek Presidency) on the subject “Women’s Participation in High Responsibility Positions: New European Policies” Athens, 7/5/2003, (Co-organized by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality, the Greek Section of the European Women’s Lobby, and Women’s Association of Greece).

ACTIONS BY Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. FOR EQUAL PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING CENTRES

• The Research Centre for Gender Equality participates, as the Greek partner, in the Programme “European Database (www.db-decision.de): Women in decision-making centres”, that contains data and numbers related to women’s participation in the E.U. and the countries of the European Economic Space.

• Conducting a research in cooperation with the “Network of Elected Women in Local Authorities” on “The female force in Local Authorities – Women Elected all over Greece”. The research concerns Local Authorities (Municipalities) for the period 1998-2000.

• In 2001 the brochure “Women in Political Decision-making Centres, Facts and numbers 2000” was published in Greek.

• In 2000 the study “Women and Politics” was also conducted.

• During the period 2000-2001 a survey was conducted in 2^nd and 3^rd degree trade unions and federations concerning collection about numerical data of women’s participation in the administration boards of trade unions. This survey was also enriched, in its course, with historical data, record material and comments, and was published in 2003 in the form of a book under the title “The Chronicle of an Absence, Women in Trade Unions’ decision-making centres”.

• In the context of the European Programme “Equal Participation in Decision-making Centres – Women in the heart of Europe”, implemented by Κ.Ε.TH.Ι. since 2003, and aiming at increasing women’s participation in political decision-making centres, particularly in connection to the national and European Parliamentary elections of 2004, the following have been realised:

-9 one-day conferences from December 2003 till June 2004 in Athens, Thessaloniki, Larissa, Volos, Patra, Herakleion/Crete, and Komotini concerning promotion of candidate women of all political parties to the national parliamentary elections, and promotion of the value of equal participation in European Parliamentary elections.

-Campaign by means of radio spots concerning the National Parliamentary elections and TV spots concerning the European Parliamentary elections. Publication of leaflets for both elections, which have been sent to the ΚΕTHΙ mailing list, to women candidates, and have been distributed at pre-election events.

-On 28^th & 29^th April, in Athens, seminar on “The Art of Communication”; 22 women trainees – executives of political parties and national partners of the Programme took part.

-On 1^st & 2^nd June, in Athens, seminar on “Women in Politics – Communication Skills"; 22 people took part, the same team as in the previous seminar.

-On 3^rd & 4^th June, the seminar “Women in Politics – Communication Skills" was repeated in Thessaloniki, with 39 women-trainees.

- Separate page in K.E.TH.I.’s Web site, aiming at the promotion of women candidates and their empowerment, by providing arguments for their cause. After the elections, it was enriched with the results of both electoral procedures.

In the context of the European Programme “Women at the top” (2004), aiming at increasing the number of women number in the highest ranking offices of enterprises:

-Seminar (September 2004) “Enterprise and Gender”

-Survey in offices of evaluation and employment of staff, concerning the profiles of companies and candidate executives who resort to them.

-Consultation for professional development/support to 8 women executives of the companies “ΕLGΕΚΑ” and “ΑΤΤΙΚΟ ΜΕΤRΟ” and of the Municipality of Athens, for empowerment and promotion to higher positions.

ANNEX D

(ARTICLE 10)

PUBLIC & PRIVATE SECONDARY EDUCATION IN GREECE

SCHOOL YEAR 2000-2001

TABLE 1

(Source:Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, Directorate for Planning and Operational Research, Dept. of Oper.Research & Statistics)

SCHOOL YEAR 2001-2002

TABLE 2

(Source:Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, Directorate for Planning and Operational Research, Dept. of Oper.Research & Statistics)

SCHOOL YEAR 2002-2003

TABLE 3

(Source:Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, Directorate for Planning and Operational Research, Dept. of Oper.Research & Statistics)

SCHOOL YEAR 2003-2004

TABLE 4

(Source: Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, Directorate for Planning and Operational Research, Dept. of Oper. Research & Statistics)

TERTIARY EDUCATION

GENERAL TOTAL OF STUDENTS IN ΤΕCHNOLOGICAL

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES (T.E.I.)

2000 – 2001

TABLE 5

(Source Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, Directorate for Planning and Operational Research, Dept. of Oper. Research & Statistics)

GENERAL TOTAL OF STUDENTS IN TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES (T.E.I.) 2001 - 2002

TABLE 6

(Source Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs Directorate for Planning and Operational Research, Dept. of Op. Research & Statistics)

NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN UNIVERSITIES 2000 – 2001

TABLE 7

(Source Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, Directorate for Planning and Operational Research, Dept. of Op.. Research & Statistics)

NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN UNIVERSITIES 2001 - 2002

TABLE 8

(Source Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, Directorate for Planning and Operational Research, Dept. of Op. Research & Statistics)

- ADDITIONAL TEACHING SUPPORT

TABLE 9

(Source Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, Directorate for Planning and Operational Research, Dept. of Op. Research & Statistics)

- TEACHING PERSONNEL
Teaching Personnel in Elementary and Secondary Education

The vast majority of teachers in pre-school education are women. In recent years, a small increase of the number of men kindergarten teachers has been noticed.

The total number of teaching personnel and the number of women teaching at Kindergartens and Elementary Schools of the country during years 2000-2004 are as follows:

TABLE 10

(Source Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, Directorate for Planning and Operational Research, Dept. of Op. Research & Statistics)

The total number of teaching personnel and the number of women teaching at Gymnasia, Integrated Lykeia and Technical Vocational Schools of the country during years 2000-2004 are as follows:

TABLE 11

(Source Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, Directorate for Planning and Operational Research, Dept. of Op. Research & Statistics)

Teaching personnel in Tertiary Education

The participation of women in tertiary education has increased in the last five years. Women usually staff lower levels and are promoted at a slower pace than men. The tables that follow show the distribution of teaching personnel in tertiary education.

GENERAL TOTAL OF TEACHING PERSONNEL IN TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES (Τ.Ε.Ι. ) 2000 – 2001