“Legal Aid and Physical Representation at Court for Women at Risk of Poverty and Social Exclusion”
SOCIETY
CIVIL SOCIETY: 269 PRACTICES
TOPIC:
Initiative
SUBMITTED FROM:
Ίριδα - Κέντρο Γυναικών
Objective Action
The initiative “Legal Aid and Physical Representation at Court for Women at Risk of Poverty and Social Exclusion” is an integral service of the long-term Program of the organization, named Protection. The Protection Program is the first definitive step toward accomplishing our vision - a world in which no woman is left behind.
The primary major objective of the initiative is to provide the women we work with valid information about their rights and the critical support they need to take action and claim them. In particular, within the triennial 2023 -2025, we aim to provide 400 women with legal assistance and support to uphold their fundamental social rights, assisting them in understanding the national legal framework and their rights in order to be able to make informed decisions about their lives. The legal assistance provided through the initiative is not limited to legal advising and support; instead, it also includes court representation for the women, giving them the opportunity to follow any possible legal path and process to ensure their access to their rights.
All services and actions of the initiative (legal advising, support, and court representation) concern cases under Civil and Family Law, Penal Law (under specific conditions e.g. defending women who are victims of gender-based violence), and Asylum and Migration Law
Target Audience
According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority and the most recent census, women constitute more than half of the population of Greece, with a percentage of 52%. Yet, Greece holds the last place in gender equality among the 27 EU member states, with a score that has remained static for a decade, while having one of the lowest rates in women’s employment within the EU. Indicatively, 1 in 4 women in Greece live at risk of poverty and social exclusion, and potentially at risk of gender-based violence.
At Irida Women’s Center, we work with every individual who is identified as female, above 18 years of age, -Greek, refugee, or migrant- residing in the city or the broader regions and facing social and economic vulnerabilities that negatively impact having a safe and dignified livelihood.
The population of women we work with share similar characteristics and vulnerabilities, including:
- struggling to make ends meet
- being (potentially) victims of gender-based violence
- being mothers in single-parental and/or large families with many children
- facing long-term physical and/or mental health conditions
- being single women with no family or social net to support them
- being long-term unemployed or having low and unstable income
- experiencing forms of social discrimination, racist behaviors, or increased threat of social exclusion
Duration
The initiative started in 2020, at the heart of the pandemic, providing legal advice to vulnerable women. Gradually, responding to the emerging need for free legal services, we developed an integrated legal assistance and representation department.
Description
We have expertise in the protection, empowerment, and holistic support of women with increased vulnerabilities through focused and rigorous services and provisions responding to every individual’s unique needs.
In 2020, we decided to expand the provision of the Protection Program by introducing a new service; the provision of free legal advising sessions. Within a period during which access to actors and services was limited to zero due to the Covid-19 lockdown, we considered carefully the constantly growing needs of the women we worked with for accessing free legal aid. Since 2020, Irida Women’s Center has had more than 1400 legal aid sessions. In 2021, we expanded the legal services, starting to provide a 360 project of legal aid and court representation aiming to support socially and economically vulnerable women to claim their rights.
At this moment, Irida Women’s Center:
- is the sole civil society actor in the city of Thessaloniki providing free legal services and court representation to every woman in need -Greek, refugee, and migrant- while adopting a gender-sensitive approach; acknowledging that women often face additional barriers to access justice simply because of their gender.
- not only undertakes legal procedures and processes but also invests in constantly informing women about their available options -in accordance with the standing legal framework- in order to be able to take informed decisions and regain ownership of their lives.
- is the sole civil society actor in Northern Greece providing a safe community member exclusively for women with a 480-member community coming from 37 countries, offering services of casework, legal assistance and court representation, psychological and psychosocial support, skill-building, and employability opportunities.
- provides a Child’s Safe Space for children of preschool age aiming to support mothers, giving them the opportunity to have private time and space for their sessions with the Legal Expert -and of course for the rest available services of the organization
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Impact on Society
Through our initiative, socially and economically vulnerable women:
- obtain access to free legal services, receive information on the legal paths through which they can claim their rights -in accordance with the standing national legislative system-, and acquire a better understanding of how to navigate the various complex bureaucratic procedures.
- have access to legal and judicial representation that safeguards their access to justice. Having restricted access to legal services -and as a result to social rights and justice- has a negative multiplier effect on the women’s lives, increasing their already increased vulnerabilities while enhancing social injustice.
- receive critical information, guidance, and advice for various legal matters while acquiring a better understanding of issues of their concern in order to be able to make informed decisions about their lives.
Within the first five months of 2023 (until May 15, 2023), Irida Women’s Center has:
- supported 95 individuals -47 women and 48 first-degree relatives of them
- undertaken 50 cases; 31 out of 50 have closed successfully while 19 cases are pending. This is equivalent to a 100% success rate.
- conducted 115 legal support sessions related to handling legal procedures such as preparing for legal representation of victims of gender-based violence, legal representation of women for divorce and custody issues, undertaking various legal processes, issuing travel documents, renewing residence permits, and supporting asylum seekers.
It is worth mentioning that of the 47 women who benefited from our legal services:
- 2 women are survivors of gender violence
- 17 women are experiencing physical or mental health issues and/or have a minor child experiencing a serious medical condition
- 10 women are at increased risk of social exclusion without any support network
Initiative Location
Our safe community space for women is located in the center of the city of Thessaloniki. The geographical scope of our services is accessible to every woman - Greek, refugee, or immigrant - who lives in Thessaloniki or the broader region.
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Working with Organization
It is a major priority to ensure by all means the best possible and most effective implementation of our programs and provided services. In this context, Irida Women’s Center had developed a wide and solid network of partners inclusive of the municipalities’ social services, public and private service providers, and civil society actors. In particular, regarding the “Legal Aid and Physical Representation at Court” service and aiming to ensure vulnerable women’s constant and holistic support, we have developed a network of:
Α. Referrals including:
- Municipalities’ Social Services
- Other civil society actors and non-governmental organizations providing humanitarian welfare and support
B. Private service providers including:
- Private Lawyers
- Notaries
At the same time, Irida Women’s Center cultivates connections and excellent relations with public service providers, e.g. public healthcare facilities and the Asylum Office.
Additionally, the organization collaborates with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, accepting senior students of the Law School Department as interns. Through their internship, the students acquire hands-on experience in various legal procedures, support the Legal Expert, and actively contribute -under the direct guidance of the Legal Expert and supervised by the Head of Protection and Safeguarding- to promoting socially and economically vulnerable women’s access to justice. We strongly believe that the internship is a unique opportunity for future lawyers to obtain practical knowledge about the legal framework while raising awareness on how to work and support groups with socio-economic vulnerabilities through the legal paths.
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Workers Participation
Irida Women’s Center consists of a multicultural staff team of 15 women working for a shared mission; to empower socially and economically vulnerable women residing in Thessaloniki and the broader region. The personnel includes professional caseworkers, a lawyer, a psychologist, an early-childhood pedagogist, adult life-long learning trainers, and administrative professionals. Every staff member is responsible for protecting, empowering, and supporting our community members, implementing our programs and services, and ensuring the οperational qualification and sustainability of the organization.
Additionally, since 2020, in partnership with the Democritus University of Thrace and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, senior students of the Social Work Department and the Law School Department do their internship at Irida under the guidance of the Head of Protection and the Legal Expert respectively. Last but not least, every year, on an average basis, we welcome 5 volunteers who offer their skills and time, enriching our services and provisions through their professional and educational backgrounds, skills, and talents.
The Legal Expert is responsible for the Legal Aid and Court Representation Department, undertaking the cases of women members of the Irida community. It is worth mentioning that Irida follows a holistic approach with the programs and services being interconnected aiming to provide women with an individualized response in order to become self-reliant and pursue opportunities for personal and professional growth. In practical terms, this means that the women who access legal support have simultaneous access -based on their needs- to casework services, psychological and psychosocial support, skill-building, and employability opportunities. As a result, our community members receive tailored and targeted support that holistically improves their socio-emotional well-being and their access to the available resources
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Benefits for Οrganization
The initiative of “Legal Aid and Physical Representation at Court for Women at Risk of Poverty and Social Exclusion” is a critical service of the Protection Program. Combined with social services, psychological and psychosocial support, legal aid, and representation in court constitute an innovative holistic approach concerning the protection and empowerment of vulnerable women residing in the geographical scope of Northern Greece.
In Thessaloniki and the broader region, through the Protection Program, Irida Women’s Center is currently the sole actor providing free legal services and representation at court for women -Greek, refugee, and migrant- in need, with no discrimination based on their nationality, legal status, or religion.
Integrating the initiative into the provided services of the organization positively maximized our social impact while increasing our reach to the direct target audience, namely the women with increased social and economic vulnerabilities. Furthermore, it massively reinforces the positive impact on women’s access to their rights, the available resources, and opportunities for personal and professional growth.
At the same time, legal support and representation at court enhanced the good reputation of the organization, raising awareness about its impactful outcomes not only among the women we work with but also within the broader local community, establishing core connections with the locals and the social services of the municipalities of Thessaloniki.
In addition, through the services of the initiative, we accomplished thoroughly mapping the needs of the women we work with, resulting in adjusting and shaping our provisions for better and more effective support of our target audience.
Connection with Global Goals
