Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend Greece on Efforts to Combat Domestic Violence, Ask about Trafficking and the Representation of Women in Parliament and the Judiciary

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today considered the combined eighth and ninth periodic report of Greece, with Committee Experts commending the State for efforts taken to combat domestic violence, while raising questions about how Greece was addressing the issue of trafficking, and the representation of women in Parliament and the judiciary.

A Committee Expert commended the State for the promotion of the law on combatting gender-based violence, and the establishment of the Police Domestic Violence Services. The efforts providing free legal protection to victims of domestic violence, including 73 centres, were noted.

Another Committee Expert asked if the State party would consider aligning the trafficking law with the provisions of the Palermo Protocol? How were staff of the judiciary and law enforcement sectors trained on trafficking? How would the State party ensure that these serious crimes were punished and dealt with in an acceptable time frame? There were gaps in the formal identification of victims. How did Greece ensure that the identification of victims did not only depend on their complaint in criminal proceedings? The Committee noted the difficult situation the State party was in, as a large reception country.

One Committee Expert said although there was a 40 per cent quota for each candidate list for elections, only 24 per cent of seats were held by women in 2022 in Parliament. Was the subject of parity mentioned in debates? Was there any notion to amend the electoral law to enable men and women to have equal visibility? What were the number of female judges? What were plans to increase the representation of women in the justice system? Could data on female ambassadors be provided?

The delegation said human trafficking was an important issue for Greece. A special working group had been set up for the protection of victims of human trafficking, which included representatives from the police, the prosecutor’s office, and the team of the national centre for solidarity which supported victims of trafficking. The national referral mechanism for the protection of victims of human trafficking sought to identify victims and provide them with support. In 2023, four vocational trainings on trafficking had taken place in areas around Greece, with the participation of third country nationals. During the training, participants were informed on different aspects of trafficking and ways to identify cases as early as possible, as well as relevant national agencies.

The delegation said a study had been conducted which examined the factors undermining women’s participation in political life. The State had adopted a multi-sectoral approach which tackled women’s under-representation. Awareness-raising campaigns had been launched prior to elections since 2015. In 2019, the National Council for Gender Equality launched a campaign “I am running” to motivate women across the country and encourage their participation as candidates in upcoming elections. The number of women in the judiciary in Greece was already high, with women making up around 60 per cent of all judges serving in Greece. Both the President and the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court were women.

Zefi Dimadama, Secretary General for Equality and Human Rights, head of the delegation of Greece, presenting the report, said Greece had introduced a series of action plans for human rights, each with a gender perspective. The adoption of the law for substantive gender equality in 2019, which aimed to eradicate gender inequalities in both the public and private spheres, was a significant step forward. In the field of combatting violence against women, a significant milestone was achieved with the ratification of the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention in 2018. Greece was among the first eight countries to endorse it in its national legislation. During the four-year period from 2023 to 2027, priority would be given to highlighting the issue of gender-based and domestic violence in all its forms, along with the implementation of preventive measures and support for victims.

In concluding remarks, Ms. Dimadama expressed gratitude to the Committee for the fruitful and inspiring discussion. All the issues arising in this dialogue would be part of Greece’s next report, and the country’s everyday policies.

Marion Bethel, Committee Expert and Rapporteur, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue with the Committee which helped them to better understand the situation of women and girls in Greece.

The delegation of Greece was comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports; the Ministry of Citizen Protection; the Ministry of Labour and Social Security; the Ministry for Migration and Asylum; the Ministry of Justice; and the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s eighty-seventh session is being held from 29 January to 16 February. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

The Committee will next meet in public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 7 February to consider the fourth periodic report of Oman (CEDAW/C/OMN/4).

Report

The Committee has before it the combined eighth and ninth periodic report of Greece (CEDAW/C/GRC/8-9).

Presentation of Report

ZEFI DIMADAMA, Secretary General for Equality and Human Rights, head of the delegation of Greece, said Greece prioritised gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The recommendations of the Committee, adopted from the previous evaluation cycle, had been translated and disseminated for information and action among the relevant stakeholders; they guided the formulation of national gender equality policies.

In recent years, Greece had faced the cumulative impact of the economic crisis, the migration crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, following the recovery from the pandemic, the new Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family was established, with the aim of integrating the policies on human rights, gender equality, the rights of the child, and the rights of vulnerable social groups, to achieve social cohesion. The portfolio of gender equality was then transferred to this Ministry, with the creation of the General Secretariat for Equality and Human Rights. Gender equality policies were implemented under the National Action Plan for Gender Equality, which was structured around four axes: preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence; equal participation of women in decision-making processes; equal participation of women in the labour market; and gender mainstreaming in sectoral policies.

Greece had introduced a series of action plans for human rights, each with a gender perspective. These included: the National Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities; the National Action Plan for the Protection of Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation; the National Strategy for the Equality of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex Plus Individuals; the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security; and the National Strategy and Action Plan for Roma Social Inclusion for the period 2021-2030. The adoption of the law for substantive gender equality in 2019, which aimed to eradicate gender inequalities in both the public and private spheres, was a significant step forward.

In the field of combatting violence against women, a significant milestone was achieved with the ratification of the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention in 2018. Greece was among the first eight countries to endorse it in its national legislation. The funding for the network of structures supporting women victims of gender-based violence was secured, which included 44 Counselling Centres, 20 shelters, and the 24-hour SOS helpline. In 2021, with the emergence of the “Me too” movement in Greece, a governmental specialised electronic platform was created with information and supportive material on violence, sexual harassment and abuse. Since 2019, 73 Police Domestic Violence Services had been established throughout the country, aimed at coordinating, supervising and guiding Police regional services in addressing cases of gender-based violence more efficiently and effectively.

In the field of equal participation of women in political decision-making, Greece undertook awareness-raising campaigns during electoral processes; this was in addition to the legislative framework and established quotas. Additionally, the Gender Equality Observatory monitored electoral procedures, recorded outcomes, and collected data on candidates. In the field of enhancing women's participation in the labour market, notable achievements included the transposition of the European directive on work-life balance in 2021, the ratification of the International Labour Organization convention on the right to work free from violence and harassment, and the introduction of the gender equality label for businesses meeting specific criteria. The Task Force for the “Climate Crisis and Gender” was actively preparing an action plan to address the significant impacts of natural disasters on women and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

During the four-year period from 2023 to 2027, priority would be given to highlighting the issue of gender-based and domestic violence in all its forms, along with the implementation of preventive measures and support for victims. Specifically, efforts would focus on upgrading and ensuring the sustainability of the network of structures for women victims of violence, including accommodation for victims and their children. Ms. Dimadama assured the Committee that their guidance would continue to shape Greece’s national policies on gender equality and empowering women and girls.

Statement by Representative of the National Human Rights Institution

MARIA GAVOUNELI, President of the Greek National Commission for Human Rights, said Greece was among the few countries in the world that had achieved full equality in law. This was not a negligible achievement. The Commission had completed the first ever report on the situation of women in the country to be used as a reference point for future developments. According to the gender equality index, Greece had demonstrated the lowest scores in all fields of gender equality in the past decade. Recently there had been a significant increase in areas such as health, but scores remained low in areas such as women in positions of power, despite quotas. A campaign had been launched to boost the chance for women to be elected, which had resulted in a five per cent increase in elected representatives. The Commission recognised the improvements in the labour market, however, the unemployment rate for women remained high. The Commission called on the Greek authorities to continue investing in policies to support women. Such balancing should extend to working from home.

Questions by Committee Experts

NATASHA STOTT DESPOJA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Greece, said Greece had been a world leader in the shaping of modern systems and civilisation in the fields of democracy, philosophy and culture, and was a founding Member State of the United Nations. Ms. Stott Despoja noted the State party’s efforts towards achieving equality and promoting the rights of women and girls nationally. Significantly, law 4604/2019, the first horizontal law aimed at achieving substantive gender equality, introduced the idea of gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting. The Committee commended the State party on the 2019 amendment to classify sex without consent as rape. Similarly, laws 4779/2021 and 4604/2019 prohibited the promotion of gender-based violence, discrimination and hate speech, and created a positive obligation on the media to advocate for images of individuals that were free from gender-stereotypes.

However, violence against women and girls remained pervasive, especially among minority groups. With one of the largest coastlines in Europe, and with the presence of conflict in near European and Middle Eastern regions, Greece received a large influx of refugees and asylum seekers, and the Committee was interested in the treatment of migrant women and girls, particularly in detention. What measures had been taken to ensure women in Greece were aware of their rights under the Convention? How had the State party disseminated this information? What measures were being taken to ensure that victims of abuse were appointed counsel from persons who were equipped to handle the sensitive nature of such cases? How many migrant women and girls had free access to legal representation? What measures were being taken to ensure that migrant women in detention were not only aware of their legal rights, but were able to exercise them?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said Greece agreed that there needed to be more concrete data to address issues of gender equality. A priority was to be able to present data from different ministries each month. The data was the base of what needed to be done. There was a gap in implementation between quotas and the representation of women in Parliament. Gender electoral quotas had been implemented gradually at all levels since 2018, introducing a 40 per cent female quota to Parliamentary elections. Capacity building projects were underway which had trained more than 100 female politicians.

All data regarding asylum was available online. Data regarding legal migration and residents’ permits was kept, as was data on asylum procedures, including the number of women that had applied for asylum. Data was also collected on the number of women who resided in reception facilities, and on unaccompanied minors, including girls. Multiple services were provided to refugee women, including legal counselling and legal representation. From 2022 to 2024, legal aid had been provided to 45 women who were victims of violence at the hands of their former partners.

The visibility of the Convention needed work, the delegation said. The State was trying to increase the visibility of the Convention. Schools had represented the Convention as a fairy tale story, to reach school children. The Convention was also promoted through the national action plan, especially through capacity building measures implemented to combat stereotypes. The National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security included capacity building activities, where the Convention was prevalent. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised activities for young people to promote gender equality.

A legal framework had been created which enabled all people, including women, to apply for legal aid. Free legal aid was also available in criminal and civil proceedings for victims of trafficking and violence against minors, regardless of their income. Two directions were recently adopted by the European Council on the functioning of equality bodies. Significant training regarding gender-based violence was provided by the national school of public administration. These trainings were revised each year to ensure they were up to date.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert noted the important steps that Greece had made in introducing a plethora of national action plans and policies, and congratulated the State party on the ascension to the Istanbul Convention. However, progress had been slow. The State party was commended for establishing the National Council for Gender Equality. What were the significant initiatives proposed by this Council and how were they implemented? What were the human, technical and financial resources at the disposal of the Commission on Human Rights?

Another Expert said the laws that Greece had introduced were applaudable, but laws needed to make change in real life. Would Greece consider introducing temporary special measures to increase the number of women in culture, media and the judiciary? Had temporary special measures been introduced within the past four years, and if so, could more information on them be provided? Did the State party intend to increase the quota from 25 to 40 per cent regarding the representation of women on public boards?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said it was important to ensure that the National Council for Gender Equality had more visibility. The National Council for Gender Equality provided support during the drafting of the National Action Plan on Gender Equality. There was civil society representation within this Council. It was possible that restructuring would be considered, to further involve the Council in the creation of policies. A programme had been implemented, which organised workshops on gender budgeting and gender assessments. There had been gender budgeting training of the ministries in Greece. There were plans to develop gender impact assessment policies, but Greece was not there yet. The National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security was just two months old. Nine ministries were involved in the development of the action plan, and an inter-ministerial committee would monitor its development.

The representation of women on boards was on an upward trend. The Government was working to improve gender balance on the boards of listed companies, stipulating that women held at least 33 per cent of all positions.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert commended the State for the promotion of the law on combatting gender-based violence, and the establishment of the Police Domestic Violence Services. The efforts providing free legal protection to victims of domestic violence, including 73 centres, were noted. How did Greece assess the progress made in the law? How many cases had been prosecuted? How did Greece plan to improve the efficiency of police forces to combat gender-based violence? What were the State’s plans to increase the capacities of social services? How accessible were these services to women in rural areas? Did the law from 2018 ensure legal prosecution for the act of femicide?

During the pandemic, the number of domestic violence cases against women had significantly increased. Could Greece inform the Committee about the country’s gender-responsive COVID-19 programme? What measures had been introduced to address the needs and violence faced by women and girls during humanitarian disasters and crisis times? Did the State party intend to allocate additional funds for advocacy projects aimed at harmful practices? What innovative awareness-raising and educational campaigns were conducted to enhance a positive and non-stereotypical portrayal of women and men?

A Committee Expert asked if the State party would consider aligning the trafficking law with the provisions of the Palermo Protocol? How were staff of the judiciary and law enforcement sectors trained on trafficking? How would the State party ensure that these serious crimes were punished and dealt with in an acceptable time frame? There were gaps in the formal identification of victims. How did Greece ensure that the identification of victims did not only depend on their complaint in criminal proceedings? The Committee noted the difficult situation the State party was in, as a large reception country. What did the State party do to prevent women asylum seekers partaking in make-shift brothels?

Were victims of trafficking informed about their rights? Was an individualised risk assessment conducted before any forced removals? Roma girls left school in their early teens. Did Greece keep track of these cases? Was this on the agenda as a trafficking issue? What was being done to protect young Roma girls and keep them in education? How did the State party ensure that women forced into prostitution could be identified and treated as victims of trafficking? Could information be provided on the whereabouts of over 500 girls and boys, mostly Albanian Roma, who disappeared from a State care home in 2004? What was the progress of this investigation?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said 2014 marked the launch of the referral system for the victims of human trafficking. This mechanism had expanded its impact, and there were gradual and steady increases in the number of cases reported. The number of convictions of human trafficking which resulted in the deprivation of liberty was 91 for 2022, and 92 for 2023. In 2020, 80 women and 35 girls were victims of trafficking, with most of them being asylum seekers from African countries. Human trafficking was an important issue for Greece. One of the most important steps taken in the fight of domestic violence was the establishment of special services in the country. Many vulnerable people were protected by Greece’s laws on hate crime and hate speech. The staff of the Hellenic police had attended numerous training sessions on this issue.

A special working group had been set up for the protection of victims of human trafficking, which included representatives from the police, the prosecutor’s office, and the team of the national centre for solidarity which supported victims of trafficking. The group met at least once every two months, and undertook actions which would strengthen the protection of victims. The national referral mechanism for the protection of victims of human trafficking sought to identify victims and provide them with support. In 2023, four vocational trainings on trafficking had taken place in areas around Greece, with the participation of third country nationals. During the training, participants were informed on different aspects of trafficking and ways to identify cases as early as possible, as well as relevant national agencies. Fifty-three women had been trained in total. Gender sensitive safeguards were in place throughout the asylum procedure.

There was no evidence that the early marriage of Roma women and girls was linked to trafficking. It was mainly the result of poor living conditions. These marriages were not recognised by the Greek State, and instead were customary marriages which took place within the community. The Greek Government aimed to lower the percentage of early marriages for young girls, mainly by promoting the empowerment of Roma women. One of the most effective measures had been linking welfare benefits to regular school attendance to reduce school dropouts. This had resulted in increased school registration levels, with dropouts being reduced.

In 2023, the Labour Inspectorate conducted four training workshops in Athens for labour inspectors. Inspections had been conducted at seven checkpoints in 2023 to combat human trafficking. Since 2022, when the Labour Inspectorate started operating as an independent authority, there had been a 13 per cent increase in the number of inspections conducted. Regarding the disappearance of children from the Aghia Varvara institution, preliminary investigations had been carried out to search for evidence, which had been sent to the prosecutor’s office.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said although there was a 40 per cent quota for each candidate list for elections, only 24 per cent of seats were held by women in 2022 in Parliament. Was the subject of parity mentioned in debates? Was there any notion to amend the electoral law to enable men and women to have equal visibility? What were the number of female judges? What were plans to increase the representation of women in the justice system? Could data on female ambassadors be provided?

Another Expert said Greece had introduced a series of legislation, policies and plans since the last dialogue, and had become one of the European countries with the greatest increase in the gender equality index. Could updated data on the number of stateless women and girls be provided? Was a system in place to register the nationality of refugees and asylum seekers in Greece? How could stateless women and girls without legal residence receive assistance? What support was provided to stateless women with language barriers, to enable them to access health and social services?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said a study had been conducted which examined the factors undermining women’s participation in political life. The State had adopted a multi-sectoral approach which tackled women’s under-representation. Awareness-raising campaigns had been launched prior to elections since 2015. In 2019, the National Council for Gender Equality launched a campaign “I am running” to motivate women across the country and encourage their participation as candidates in upcoming elections.

The number of women in the judiciary in Greece was already high, with women making up around 60 per cent of all judges serving in Greece. Both the President and the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court were women. Gender and sexual orientation issues were a priority for Greece. The national school of the judiciary provided initial and continual training to judges and prosecutors which covered topics such as human rights, gender-based violence, and the treatment of victims. Judges were also provided with optional training on the Istanbul Convention and on violence against women.

Greece was party to the United Nations convention on statelessness, with no reservations. A nationality assessment was part of the asylum procedure, and could be launched in cases of stateless persons. Approximately 70 applications for international protection were lodged by stateless people per year. So far, the State had registered 318 stateless women who had been granted refugee status in Greece. Refugee status was the most common status granted to stateless people, along with subsidiary protection. They would then have access to the labour market and all other benefits provided to refugees living in Greece.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert asked Greece about the steps taken to address the rights of persons with disabilities, as recommended by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?

Another Expert commended Greece for its educational outcomes; 93.3 per cent of girls and boys completed schools, and the literacy rates of adults was high. Greece was also commended for the mention of the law on gender mainstreaming in the curriculum. Had digital scholarships continued to be awarded to girls? Was support provided to scholarship recipients to obtain paid employment following the completion of post-graduate studies? Which aspects of human rights dominated the pictorial education and what was lacking? What was in place in schools to empower girls and build their leadership skills? Were girls encouraged to be prefects in core institutions? Were programmes in place to support to provision of sanitary materials to address period poverty? What percentage of Islamic teachers were women? Was psychosocial support provided to refugee students? Did the lack of documentation prevent them from attending school? How was bilingualism ensured in schools?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said Greece aimed to have 50-50 parity in politics eventually, but needed more time. This was why the State had originally started with 40 per cent. This was something that parties and civil society were trying to push forward. An increasing number of people recognised the crime of femicide, and this term had been accepted in Greece’s social dialogue for the past two years. However, establishing femicide as a separate offense was not necessary at this point, as it was covered within the Criminal Code. The Greek Criminal Code would be reformed, and the existing domestic violence legislation was under amendment and modernisation to align it with the Istanbul Convention. Specific measures had been implemented for women victims of domestic violence, including a “panic button” which was a smart phone application app which alerted the police. A series of measures had been implemented during the pandemic to respond to domestic violence, including a legal framework which enabled movement for survivors and their children.

A programme had been introduced to address violence and bullying in schools. A nation-wide anti-bullying campaign would commence this year. Bilingual handbooks had been developed on how to register within the Greek education system. Greece had been implementing the strategic action plan on inclusive education. Regarding the issue of Islamic religion teachers, 24 out of 90 were female. Students were given access to all alternative education pathways, and linked to further professions and the labour market. A pilot programme had been prepared for girls to combat period poverty, providing over 10 million products and including an awareness raising campaign. It was possible this programme would be expanded and rolled out to the whole country.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert asked what strategies Greece was implementing to address the large discrepancy between men and women in terms of unpaid work? Women represented only 29.4 per cent of those employed in senior and middle management in 2021. What strategies were being implemented to minimise gender-based barriers to career progression for women? What kind of programmes did the State party implement to increase the participation of women from national minorities in the labour market? Could data be provided on court decisions on sexual violence in the workplace? How did the State party manage the discrimination and difference between women and men concerning pension payments?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said gender segregation in the labour market represented a challenge for women and men. The gender pay gap had decreased to 10.4 per cent in 2021. The Pegasus project aimed to address the gender pension gap in Greece. Greece recognised one Muslim minority, which had been recognised by the Lausanne treaty. Single parents were entitled to the double duration of parental leave. A plan that tackled long-term unemployment focused on specific provisions for women.

An employment subsidy programme had been launched which aimed to promote the hiring of persons from vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities and victims of domestic violence. A business subsidy programme, aimed at hiring 5,000 unemployed people, was also launched in Greece last year. Additionally, a programme launched in 2021 aimed at subsidising business initiatives for more than 2,000 young freelancers.

Since 2018, almost 10 million euros had been allocated for the creation of nurseries which would serve more than 4,000 babies and toddlers. A programme was also launched to provide low-income families with vouchers for childcare. To increase the number of places in nurseries for babies, a new programme was financed for the creation of over 2,000 places at new early childcare centres.

Questions by Committee Experts

NATASHA STOTT DESPOJA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Greece, asked how men were being engaged in the process of promoting positive gender stereotypes?

A Committee Expert said that in the midst of the country’s economic crisis, one of the biggest challenges was the lack of a suitable budget for healthcare. What percentage of the budget was earmarked for women’s health? The State party should be commended on the progress made in vaccination of girls against HPV. Were caesarean births a choice made by women or was this public policy? How was adolescent pregnancy being prevented? What was the State doing to ensure that breastfeeding mothers had access to appropriate facilities? What was being done to ensure that migrant women could have access to pre- and post-natal care? What was being done to assist women living with HIV/AIDS?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said a programme provided health examinations to vulnerable groups, with the aim to provide additional services through the application of mobile health units. This also included a programme for the prevention of breast cancer. In Greece, artificial termination of pregnancy was legal. If it was performed without the consent of the pregnant woman, this was punishable by up to 10 years. Separate safe zone areas had been created in reception facilities for migrants, for pregnant women, and for unaccompanied minors. Midwives informed on post-natal care. During the asylum proceedings and consideration of an asylum claim, there were special rooms to breastfeed children, and guardians to take care of the children. Accommodation was provided to women in the reception facilities.

HIV positive citizens were protected under Greek legislation. An electronic registry project was being planned for HIV patients, which would ensure the automation of treatment.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert asked for additional information about measures included to promote economic empowerment for refugee women, women with disabilities, and Roma women, among others? What was the percentage of funds earmarked for women business owners? What were the State party’s plans to include digitisation to improve the economic empowerment of women?

NATASHA STOTT DESPOJA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Greece, said only 20 per cent of Greek citizens lived in rural areas. In 2016, women accounted for around 34 per cent of livestock holders. What grants or programmes were in place to support rural women? Criticism had been heard about Greece’s approach to climate adaptation. Could the delegation detail how women and girls in Greece faced negative impacts due to climate change? Could the State party clarify the number of Roma women and girls in Greece?

The alleged pushbacks of refugees and asylum seekers was of high concern to the Committee. While this situation had improved, there had been reports of detention becoming an intrinsic part of the pushback process, and of it being used to inflict violations on pushback survivors. What was being done to protect women and girls from such violence? What mechanisms were in place to monitor and hold accountable law enforcement officers who might commit such atrocities? Could information be provided on allegations that people were being detained in secret?

Responses by the Delegation

The provision of microcredits was a new field in Greece. The level of female entrepreneurship had reached 25 per cent in Greece. Work needed to be done in this regard. There was a national strategy for social inclusion and poverty reduction up to the year 2027. Welfare disabilities were increased by 8 per cent in 2023.

The delegation said the Hellenic police had clear orders regarding the actions of its personnel, particularly the principle of non-refoulment. This applied to all people who arrived in the country, particularly women and children who were in a vulnerable position. No third country national should be returned until they had their asylum application assessed. The Hellenic police conducted border monitoring in full compliance with international human rights standards. Regarding reception conditions and asylum procedures in Greece, the fundamental protection officers collected all complaints made and forwarded them to the national authority. A ministry was responsible for monitoring the implementation of national and European legislation in the area of border protection.

In 2021, a national mapping of Roma settlements had been undertaken. The mapping would be used to meet the population’s needs and expectations.

Questions by Committee Experts

NATASHA STOTT DESPOJA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Greece, said that Greece bore a disproportionate brunt of refugees, but implored the State party to consider the protection of women and girls throughout the migration process.

A Committee Expert asked if women were forced to undergo mediation in cases on domestic violence? Did the training at the school of judges include training on domestic violence? Would the State party adopt a rule on equal matrimony property division, and guarantee women the option to leave marriages without the fear of poverty? What steps were being taken to ensure girls were being protected from non-consensual child marriages?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said early marriages within the Roma community were not legally recognised marriages. More than 20,000 Roma pupils had benefitted from education programmes. Business initiatives aimed to promote entrepreneurship of women from marginalised groups; 400 Roma women were provided with funds to start their own business. The Greek legal system offered certain possibilities to suspend the legal rights of parents who had been abusive towards their spouses or their children.

Concluding Remarks

ZEFI DIMADAMA, Secretary General for Equality and Human Rights, head of the delegation of Greece, expressed gratitude to the Committee for the fruitful and inspiring discussion. All the issues arising in this dialogue would be part of Greece’s next report, and the country’s everyday policies.

MARION BETHEL, Committee Expert and Rapporteur, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue with the Committee, which helped them to better understand the situation of women and girls in Greece.

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