“Cities 4 ELLA”: Collaboration Among European Cities to Prevent and Combat Gender-Based Violence (EU CERV-Town Programme)

The project “Cities 4 ELLA” – Empowerment, Liberty, Leadership and Awareness for women survivors of gender-based violence is part of the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV), under the strand supporting town twinning and networks of European cities (CERV-Town).

The initiative aims to create a collaborative network among European cities to prevent and combat gender-based violence, with a particular focus on labour market integration, while also strengthening existing networks. To this end, the project seeks to enhance cross-border cooperation between local public administrations and municipal networks; identify and exchange best practices; and improve policies and services through the adoption and/or enhancement of protocols and standard operating procedures.

In addition to FSC (Barcelona, Spain), the project brings together five organisations from four European Union countries: ActionAid International as project lead together with the City Council of Milan (Milan, Italy), the Women’s Center of Karditsa (Karditsa, Greece), Equipop (Lyon, France), and Terre des Femmes – Menschenrechte für die Frau e. V. (Berlin, Germany). Beyond the City of Milan as a project partner, the initiative is supported by the commitment and participation of the city councils of the participating cities.

“Cities 4 ELLA”, which is linked to FSC’s services addressing gender-based violence, aims, among other objectives, to encourage professionals working in these services to carry out study visits to the programmes and services of partner organisations recognised for their good practices. The initiative therefore seeks to promote direct exchange and on-the-ground observation of innovative models.

The project strengthens FSC’s commitment to eradicating gender-based violence and contributes to the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025.

Participation in initiatives of this kind enables FSC to project and scale the knowledge and experience accumulated by the organisation, positioning it on the international map and agenda. At the same time, it represents a strategic opportunity to incorporate proven improvements and innovations from like-minded countries. Ultimately, the aim is to move forward—through exchange, mutual learning, dialogue, and cooperation—towards a more just, sustainable, and equitable world.