SECOND CASE OF EXCELLENCE
ARSIS
GREECE, THESSALONIKI

Research Center for Equality Issues (R.C.E.I.) was founded in 1994 and operates under the auspices and with the funding of the General Secretariat of Equality, of the Home Office. It is based on Athens and has also branches in Thessaloniki, Patra, Volos and Iraklio.

The main development axis of the activities of R.C.E.I. is the promotion of women in every sector of political, economical and social life, within the policy framework that is determined by the General Secretariat of Equality.

The aims of R.C.E.I. are:

• Realization of researches and scientific studies on gender issues
• Establisment and operation of experimental institutions that support and promote women
• Documentation and information on gender issues regarding employment
• Support of women for the promotion to the labor market
• Support of women who suffer from maltreatment, marginalization and social exclusion
• Training of individuals, group of people and institutions on gender issues
• Initiatives for the promotion of gender equality, especially within a multi-cultural context
• Planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects that promote equality goals.

The R.C.E.I. services addressed only to women are the following:

• Reception/informing
• Psycho-social support
• Legal advice
• Counceling for employment and business activities

Additional actions:

• Studies on gender issues
• Meetings / seminars aiming at the public sensitization and the diffusion of study outcomes.

The staff of R.C.E.I. in Thessaloniki consists of:

• 1 department coordinator
• 3 psychologists
• 2 legal counselors
• 1 reception counselor

Reception / information

When a woman wants to be informed or make use of R.C.E.I. services calls herself in the centre and

• She receives information on the existing services by phone
• She expresses her request

Afterwards, according to the request, the respective service contacts the woman in order to arrange the first meeting.

Psycho-social support

Psycho-social support is provided only when a woman requires it. This request is usually associated with inter-family maltreatment, management of the marital relationship, management of the parental role, and management of the divorce, repatriation problems, and unemployment.
Psycho-social support focuses on helping the woman not to feel guilty, on strengthening the woman through self-awareness procedures and on supporting the woman's right to react and not to accept maltreatment.
Important part of psycho-social support involves the "reading of the violence circle", which helps the woman to understand the factors that lead to maltreatment. It is important to be stressed that in this way the woman is not incriminated but rather she is encouraged to understand the situation not as a victim but as an active actor.
Psycho-social support focuses on women's needs through empowerment and self-activity. The aim is to help women to manage their relationships with more equal terms and also to increase the negotiating capacity of women.
At this point it is important to notice that the center works only with women. When children of the mother have needs they are addressed to centers that work with children. Most often these are children psychiatric hospitals, children mental health departments, arsis, schools etc. No work is done directly to the children from this center. However, the work done with the mother affects the child and its relationship with the mother. The aim is to support the mother in her parental role, to strengthen her in decision-making and to help her understand her own needs and to identify the needs of her child.

Legal advice

Legal advice is provided only when a woman requires it. This request is usually associated with issues such as alimony, custody, insurance measures, divorce issue or employment issues. This service focuses on counseling and informing. However, the R.C.E.I., through a legal aid program in co-operation with the Lawyers Association or lawyers from the other cities, is able to:

• Provide training in lawyers on gender issues
• Represent some cases at least in the first court, with all the expenses covered. The necessary preconditions for a legal representation on the court are the following:
• The woman should be unemployed
• Emphasis is given on employment issues
• The proposals of the jurists of R.C.E.I. are taken into consideration.

Counseling for employment and business activity

Counseling for employment involves the empowerment of women and focuses on self-activity. It includes vocational orientation, self-awareness as to the professional goals, information about the labor market, job searching techniques and finally information on working rights, other services where she can address to and the National Employment Organization's programs. There is a close co-operation between R.C.E.I. and the Centers for the Employment Promotion of the N.E.O., while special tools are being used.
Women who want to create their own enterprise or to improve their already existing one receive counseling for business activity. This service helps women to develop their business idea, particularize it and develop their business planning. Women also receive information about benefits regarding this issue.