Property needs to be found urgently for Shelter for Abused Women

The Shelter for Women Victims of Violence in Corfu is facing the threat of closure, as its housing situation has not been secured for the continuation of its operation. The facility is currently housed in a rented building, but the lease expires at the end of the year and has not been renewed. On top of this, the landlord has already filed for eviction in order to reclaim the property for personal use. Since the shelter’s operation is funded through the National Strategic Reference Framework, that funding cannot be renewed without an active lease agreement. As a result, there is a real danger that the women and their children currently accommodated there could be forced out onto the street, while the staff risk losing their jobs. It should be noted that the Shelter had already been closed for two years in the past due to funding issues, leaving women in need without protection.

Despite the fact that the demand for economic, social, legal, and psychological support for women victims of violence and their children is constantly growing, the state has failed to develop the essential support network of services. Existing structures are not being expanded — in fact, they are shrinking. The Corfu Shelter is one of only 20 shelters in the entire country. The tireless efforts and dedication of the staff in Shelters and Counselling Centres cannot make up for government and EU policies, which approach the issue of violence against women through temporary ESPA programmes and piecemeal measures, while treating the necessary, comprehensive protection of working-class women as nothing more than a “cost.”

These developments reflect the consistent policy of successive governments, which have allowed vital structures (Women’s Counselling Centres, Shelters, and the SOS Helpline 15900) to operate under temporary European funding, with built-in expiration dates, and with staff on fixed-term contracts. What has been proven time and again is that the only real shield protecting women from violence is the collective struggle of workers and society against a system built on exploitation and gender inequality.

The Minister of Social Cohesion and Family is therefore asked what measures the government will take to:

• Ensure that the Shelter for Women Victims of Violence in Corfu continues operating without interruption.

• Secure a modern and safe building for the Shelter.

• Establish a comprehensive, permanent, state-run support network for women who have experienced violence, with guaranteed public funding and specialised staff employed on stable, permanent contracts, without the involvement of NGOs or private actors.

• Immediately grant permanent employment status to all staff in Counselling Centres, Shelters for Abused Women, and the SOS Helpline 15900.

Signed by Members of Parliament: Nikos Exarchos, Vivi Dagka, Semina Digeni, Liana Kanelli, Maria Komninaka, and Afroditi Ktena.