DAPHNE

The projects aim is to protect children, young people and women from all kinds of violence, trafficking and to attain a high level of health protection, well-being and social cohesion.

The purpose of the Daphne Programme is to support the work of organisations (including NGOs) and public local authorities in protecting women and children and in preventing violence against them. Daphne adds value at European Community level to this work and encourages the exchange of ideas and best practice through the formation of networks and partnerships and the implementation of pilot projects. These provide opportunities for learning, for the sharing of information, the transfer of skills and comprehensive coverage of problem areas, all of which are designed to be in the best interests of those who suffer violence.

In addition, Daphne supports actions which raise awareness about violence among the general public and those at risk, as well as actions involving research and seminars on the subject of violence. Importantly, all this work is done through new European networks, and with a view to collaborative European action and best-practice exchange.

Experience gained by the implementation of the Daphne programme together with an extensive impact assessment of completed projects, a survey of ongoing projects and interviews with stakeholders produced the following conclusions: 

• “The Initiative and Programme objectives were and remain relevant to the needs at their origin i.e. protecting children, young people and women from violence and preventing it. Both the outputs and the impacts contribute to achieving each objective of the Daphne Programme, so confirming its effectiveness. The efficiency of the programme is evidenced by the impressive outputs and impacts, compared to the modest resources allocated. Their sustainability once the projects have ended is rather weak, because of insufficiently planned and targeted dissemination and difficulties with post-project funding”.
• With its high level of response (more than 2200 proposals received, requesting around €195 million), Daphne clearly meets a deeply felt need within society.
• With around 700 outputs, the 303 funded projects have provided an initial response and have seriously contributed to raising awareness among the target groups concerned. They have also played a part in the empowerment of a number of victims, increased awareness of how to access assistance, reinforced the services offered and contributed to the understanding of some mechanisms of violence, etc.
• These outputs have had an impact not only on the partners, target groups and end beneficiaries, but also on the slowly changing social perceptions of violence and the development of EU and national policies. New models and methodologies are being explored and developed by public institutions, all contributing to the creation of a common framework and convergence of policies throughout the Member States.
• Another finding worth mentioning is that 12% of the projects had an impact on legislation and/or led to policy change. Given the fact that the primary aim of Daphne is not to propose legislative measures or to change policies, this is a side-effect due to the strong commitment and dedication of some organisations. This can be seen as a plus.