Project 101254762 — Arakhel – CERV-2025-DAPHNE
Brief overview of the Arakhel project
1.1 Implementation period and consortium
Arakhel Anti-GBV Support Centres for Roma women is a CERV-2025-DAPHNE project, under the agreement 101254762 – Arakhel, which will be implemented in Greece, Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, starting from 01/03/2026 with a duration of 24 months [01/03/2026 – 29/02/2028].
Specifically, the Arakhel consortium consists of the following 6 members from 6 countries:
Project coordinator: 1. SYMPLEXIS (Symplexis) from Greece.
Partners:
- ASOCIATIA CENTRUL ROMILOR PENTRU POLITICI DE SANATATE-SASTIPEN
(SASTIPEN) from Romania.
- CITIZENS ASSOCIATION BIBIJA ROMA WOMEN CENTER (Bibija RWC) from Serbia.
- UDRUZENJE ZENA ROMKINJA BOLJA BUDUCNOST GRADA TUZLA (Bolja Budućnost), from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- ASSOCIATION ROMA WOMENS RIGHTS INITIATIVE FROM SHUTO ORIZARI SKOPJE (RWRI), from North Macedonia.
- CITIZENS ASSOCIATION FOR SUPPORT OFMARGINALIZED GROUPS ROMA RESOURCE CENTER SKOPJE (RRC), from North Macedonia.
Project aim and objectives
Arakhel project aims at the upskilling of Roma Mediators in victim support services, the awareness raising & information of Roma women victims on GBV services, and the development of new GBV services and tools tailor-made & specialized on the need of Roma women survivors and victims of GBV. More specifically Arakhel comes to address gaps and needs such as:
The lack of availability of/access to comprehensive and targeted protection and specialist support services for Roma women victims of GBV/domestic violence.
The limited skills of Roma (Health and other) Mediators in relation to victim support and awareness raising for accessing protection & support services.
Sets of activities, target groups and main results
The Arakhel objectives will be achieved through the implementation of the following set of activities:
Exchange of experience and good practice on support models and services for Roma women victims of GBV through a mapping and analysis of the existing support and protection models and services in the 5 partner countries, an online learning and exchange workshop to share and exchange knowledge and experiences, to identify common traits and differences among the countries and to prioritize the needs of Roma women for tailored/specialist support.
Training of Roma GBV Mediators: A Training Programme (based on the train-the-trainer model) will be developed and implemented to build the skills and capacities of at least 100 Roma Mediators to enable them to take the role of ‘Roma GBV Mediators’ in their communities, and to lead the work of the local Anti-GBV Support Centres.
Establishment and operation of Anti-GBV Support Centres for Roma women in Greece, Romania, Serbia and Bosnia and Hercegovina, while the services of the existing Center “Isi Arka” in Shuto Orizari will be improved and further extended.
Awareness raising of Roma women and wider communities includinf Events, online campaigns, info/multimedia material will be utilized with the aim to raise the awareness of Roma women victims (and potential victims) of GBV/domestic violence about their rights and the support that is available and to break down the stigma of GBV, as well as in order to change/challenge patriarchal norms, attitudes and stereotypes in Roma communities that make violence against women acceptable.
The limited awareness of/information for Roma women victims (and potential victims) of GBV/domestic violence about their rights and the support that is available, as well as lack of trust to support services providers.
The need to challenge and change existing patriarchal norms, attitudes and stereotypes, and the limited awareness of Roma communities that make violence against women acceptable and of the different types of violence.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project: CERV-2025-DAPHNE – Project ID 101254762