Cities 4 ELLA

Conducted jointly in five European cities, the ELLA project is based on several findings.

First, that municipalities have the capacity and responsibility to play a crucial role in the prevention and management of sexual and sexual violence, through holistic actions, the funding of specialized organizations and services, and by facilitating coordination among stakeholders.

Furthermore, socioeconomic empowerment is one of the key factors that enable survivors to develop the capacity to take action to escape situations of violence.

The overall objective of the project is therefore to strengthen collaboration among departments involved in the prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) at the municipal level, through the exchange of local and European best practices focused on the financial empowerment of SGBV survivors.

The project involves consultations within each metropolitan area, as well as networking among the five participating European cities through exchange trips.

The project thus aims to create a European network of cities committed to: 

• Preventing and combating gender-based and sexual violence (GBV) and domestic violence by sharing best practices among five European cities (Lyon, Milan, Barcelona, Karditsa, Berlin)
• Support the socioeconomic empowerment of women affected by VSS
• Strengthen local networks—both institutional and community-based—that support women survivors
• Developing sustainable partnerships and collective learning among European cities

To do this, Equipop: 

• Organizes opportunities for Lyon-based nonprofit and institutional stakeholders to share experiences and best practices regarding support for women and gender minorities who are survivors of sexual and sexual violence and their socioeconomic empowerment.

• Take part in mutual learning sessions with participants from Lyon and those from the four other European municipalities participating in the project.