People take part in a march mainly focusing on violence against women on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in Athens, Greece, on Nov. 24, 2018. On the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women which falls on Nov. 25 each year, Greek authorities, experts and victims of abuse called on women suffering in silence across the country to "speak up." (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
By Maria Spiliopoulou, Valentini Anagnostopoulou
ATHENS, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)-- On the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women which falls on Nov. 25 each year, Greek authorities, experts and victims of abuse called on women suffering in silence across the country to "speak up."
It was the main slogan during a symbolic march organized on Saturday in the center of Athens by local feminist groups.
It was also the message conveyed by Greek officials, forensic medical examiners and women who have been abused and found the strength to seek support and put an end to violence.
According to a survey carried out by the Hellenic Society of Forensic Medicine (HSFM) in 2017, a quarter of women in Greece have suffered physical abuse, and in eight out of ten cases, the identified perpetrators were the victims' partners or close relatives.
This year, 4,909 women sought help at 41 advisory centers nationwide, 286 women sought refuge at 21 hosting facilities and 5,088 called the emergency phone line SOS 15900, said a press release issued earlier this week by the Greek Interior Ministry's General Secretariat for Gender Equality.
In most cases, the victims were unemployed mothers aged 25-54, who felt unable to break the circle of violence and walk away due to financial or psychological constraints.
"Speak up" is the key piece of advice for women who are still suffering, a 35-year-old Athenian who has suffered domestic violence and prefers to be anonymous, told Xinhua on Saturday on the sidelines of the protest.
She is an employee of an NGO supporting refugees, having worked for many years in NGOs assisting minorities in need of help. She was standing by the victims of abuse long before she experienced what it was like to be assaulted by a loved person.
She was abused by her partner for 4 months, until she fought back. Each time he hit her, she would seek an excuse on his behalf, putting the blame on herself, she explained.
"I was looking at the good moments and telling myself the bad moments when he was hitting me would go away," she said.
"When I realized that he will not change, that after 4 months he was searching for reasons to hit me or abuse me verbally or psychologically, I decided to walk away from this relationship. It was the last time he hit me," she noted.
She went through the three stages most victims go through, as her psychologist explained to her: freeze, fight, flee.
On that last day she fought back, she grabbed a knife in self defense,injured her partner and fled. After a marathon legal battle with the support of authorities, NGOs and friends, she was acquitted.
Today she urged victims to talk about their abuse and learn how they can also flee.
"They should not fear. They should speak up. A big mistake I made at that time was that I did not talk about this."
"Perhaps many women think this way- that there is nothing to say, that this is normal, reasonable and natural. It isn't," she stressed.
"Knowledge is power," the Hellenic Society of Forensic Medicine advised in this year's poster, calling on victims to turn to the support networks available, talk to experts and receive assistance to stop abuse, recover and stand on their feet stronger.
"Through the constant upgrade of the network of support structures for the elimination of violence against women and various campaigns aimed to boost awareness, the General Secretariat for Gender Equality highlights the necessity to put an end in violence against women," Fotini Kouvela, secretary general for gender equality, said in a written statement to Xinhua.
"It is a factor of paramount importance for the quality of democracy and smooth functioning of our society in general. In this context we mark this year again the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women with various actions to inform the public and raise awareness, with respect to the values, ideals and principles of substantial gender equality," she emphasized in the statement.
