The first meeting of the Drama Urban Local Group (ULG) took place on 18 September 2026 at the Women’s Counselling Center “AITHRA”, bringing together representatives of the Centre and the Municipality of Drama.
The meeting focused on the activation of the Women’s Counselling Center within the UNIDAS4EU project, its contribution to the project’s Transferability Study and the aspects of the UNIDAS methodology that could be integrated into its work.
Representatives of the Women’s Counselling Center “AITHRA” and the Municipality of Drama discussed the Centre’s role in developing a more coordinated and effective local response to domestic and intimate partner violence.
“AITHRA” was identified as having a strategic role within the Local Group, with the potential to act as a Local Focal Point of the UNIDAS System. In this capacity, the Centre could coordinate referrals, monitor follow-up actions and ensure continuity of support between the Police, Hospital, Public Prosecutor, Municipal Social Services and shelters.
The meeting also explored the possibility of “AITHRA” acting as the Secretariat of the Local Network Against Gender-Based Violence, supporting regular ULG meetings, thematic working groups, common cooperation protocols and joint professional training activities.
Six UNIDAS components identified for local implementation:
The discussions also identified six components of the UNIDAS methodology that could be integrated into the local support system:
🔹 Structured Case Management: assigning a dedicated case manager to each survivor.
🔹 48-Hour Response Mechanism: establishing a local procedure for first contact, risk assessment and activation of support measures within 48 hours.
🔹 Integrated Referral Pathway: creating a referral mechanism connecting the relevant local institutions and stakeholders.
🔹 Local Cooperation Protocol: formalising cooperation between institutions and clarifying their respective roles.
🔹 Shared Data Collection and Monitoring System: developing common reporting tools and regular monitoring to support evidence-based local policies.
🔹 Prevention and Early Detection: strengthening awareness and prevention activities, particularly in schools and youth environments, involving teachers, educational staff and the wider community.
The meeting concluded that the contribution of the Women’s Counselling Center “AITHRA” should extend beyond providing support services, positioning it as a local coordination hub connecting the institutions involved in the response to domestic and intimate partner violence.
This approach aims to transform existing informal cooperation arrangements into a structured system based on case management, referral pathways, data monitoring and multi-agency coordination, reflecting a central principle of the UNIDAS model: the challenge is not the absence of services, but the need for a system that connects them.