GBV S.O.S. – Digital Handbooks for victims and bystanders of gender-based violence
Gender-based violence (GBV): A Hidden Reality
GBV is a pervasive and contentious issue in our society. While its most extreme forms—such as physical and sexual violence—capture public attention, GBV often manifests in milder, less recognizable forms in our everyday lives. It happens next to us, in front of us, and sometimes, we ourselves may be victims or perpetrators. These subtler forms of GBV normalize unacceptable behaviors and reinforce attitudes that urgently need to change.
Raising Awareness in Kifissia. And beyond!
In collaboration with the Community Center of the Municipality of Kifissia (Κέντρο Κοινότητας Δήμου Κηφισιάς), we set out to address these challenges by achieving four key objectives:
Educating the community about the different forms of GBV—verbal, physical, psychological, and more.
Mapping services and institutions, providing critical information on how to handle GBV incidents and access support networks for victims and families.
Encouraging incident reporting and help-seeking, by contacting the Community Centre of the Municipality of Kifissia or other support systems.
Introducing the concept of bystanders and emphasizing their role in combating GBV on both a societal and interpersonal level.
A Centralized Source of Information
Recognizing the scattered nature of information available in Greek, we aimed to create a comprehensive and accessible resource for victims and bystanders alike. This initiative resulted in the creation of two digital handbooks, tailored for these groups.
Handbook for Victims: A detailed guide on what constitutes GBV, how to spot it, steps for dealing with it, and planning a safe escape.
Handbook for Bystanders: Practical advice on how to support victims, identify GBV, and take effective action to interrupt cycles of violence.
These handbooks provide crucial insights, empowering individuals with the knowledge and tools to act. Together, they serve as a foundational resource, offering clarity and support in an area where such information is often fragmented.
A Collective Call to Action
Through this project, we aim to raise awareness, foster dialogue, and inspire action within the community. By addressing both victims and bystanders, we strive to create an informed and proactive society, one step closer to ending the cycle of GBV.
Our two covers side-by-side
Recognizing that we are all potential victims and/or bystanders, we designed the cover pages of the two handbooks to reflect this interdependence. Using the opposing colors of black and white, the covers symbolize the dual perspectives in the fight against GBV.
At the heart of the design is the equality sign, broken into two equal parts across the two covers. This division underscores the idea that neither group can succeed alone in combating GBV. However, when the two cover pages are placed side-by-side, the equality sign is completed, symbolizing the unified effort needed to fight for equality and stand against GBV.
This design not only serves as a visual metaphor but also as a call to action: Only by coming together as victims and bystanders can we achieve meaningful change.
Co-Funding and Future Activations
This important initiative is co-funded by the European Union, the European Structural and Investment Funds 2021-2027, the regional programme “Attica”, and the Municipality of Kifissia. Their combined support underscores the collective commitment to combating GBV and fostering equality.
The project is ongoing, with more activations planned in the future. We’ll be sharing updates as they unfold, so stay tuned!
Here’s a sneak peek at some selected pages from the two handbooks:
