In 2024, we awarded twelve grants to members across Europe to support their efforts in enhancing perpetrator programmes and ensuring that interventions remain safe and effective. Each organisation brought their unique perspective and tailored their projects to address specific challenges within their contexts, all while maintaining a shared focus: the safety of survivors of violence. 

These grants reflect our unwavering commitment to safe, effective, and sustainable perpetrator work, supporting organisations in building their capacities and aligning their practices with the European Standards for Perpetrator Programmes. The next step in this process is to launch our European Accreditation for Perpetrator Programmes. A particularly exciting milestone this year was that four of the 2024 grantees completed the first-ever assessment for the accreditation, demonstrating their commitment to quality and accountability. I am very thankful to these organisations, as well as our amazing assessors, for their role in piloting this process with us.  

As we look ahead to 2025, we recognise the growing financial stress many organisations in our field are facing. WWP EN is committed to standing in solidarity with our members during these challenging times. To help bridge the gap, we are pleased to share that the upcoming 2025 grant call will include the possibility to use part of the funding to sustain perpetrator programmes, in addition to capacity-building activities. 

The new grant call will open in early January 2025, and we encourage all our members to consider applying. Keep an eye on our website, social media, and your inbox for more details in the coming weeks. 

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and a good start to the new year,  

Alessandra  

Do you want to elevate the impact of your perpetrator programme, provide support to your team, and enhance outcomes for those you work with? WWP´s webinar in December illustrated how accreditation can showcase the good work your organisation is doing, while also providing a pathway for critical reflection. 

In rural Ireland, men are often unable to access perpetrator programmes due to limited access to public transport, shift work, and other challenges. This means they miss critical opportunities to change their behaviors, and their partners and children continue to remain at risk. 

In 2024, Men’s Development Network introduced an intensive weekend group session to reach men unable to access regular perpetrator programs in Ireland. John Doyle, a key force behind this innovative programme, shared why it was important to have such a programme, what they hope to achieve, and most importantly how they ensure the safety of the partners and children of the men in the programme. 

WWP´s Czech member SPONDEA demonstrated how perpetrator programmes can blend research with practice, enhancing safety for survivors and reducing risks. Through their project this year, SPONDEA partnered with Masaryk University to conduct research focused on improving risk assessment practices and other areas of their programme crucial for the safety of women and children. Drawing on their research findings, they created a strategy to address gaps in the current practice.

Through their partnership with Masaryk University, SPONDEA is driving meaningful, lasting change to end domestic violence.

At WWP, we believe it is vital to share the stories of those dedicated to ending domestic violence. We are grateful to the team at Association NAIA in Bulgaria, for sharing their inspiring journey of tackling violence at its roots, by holding men accountable for their behaviours. 

This year, our grantee League of Open Men has made significant strides in their advocacy efforts, building key relationships, and mapping out the next steps to integrate work with perpetrators of violence into the Czech legislative framework.

LOM has increased active engagement with ministry representatives and government officials, laying the groundwork for more intensive negotiations and impactful actions planned for the coming year.

We are proud to support LOM’s advocacy efforts in the Czech Republic through our 2024 grant, helping to advance systemic change and create safer communities for all.

Bridging the gap between perpetrator programs and women’s support services creates a united effort to tackle domestic violence and keep women safe. 

Our grantee Society for Psychological Assistance worked together with these organisations, as well as child protection services, to establish ways of sharing critical information. Their work resulted in signed cooperation agreements, which solidified the commitment to collaboration. This is a critical step towards unifying the domestic violence response system in Croatia.

Effective risk assessment is key to protecting survivors and preventing further harm. Recognising this, the Anti-Violence Network Georgia developed a project focused on creating clear procedures for assessing and managing risks and strengthening collaboration between domestic violence support services.

How can you assess the risk for a survivor of violence?

We are proud to support the work of HERA in ensuring children´s safety in 2024. They adapted WWP´s child protection policy to use within their context, reaffirming their commitment to the safety and well-being of every child they work with. As part of this initiative, HERA also conducted a comprehensive training program for their team, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to effectively implement the updated policy.

For almost two decades, Tjasa Hrovat from DNK has been working in the domestic violence response system in Slovenia. Earlier this year, they opened up about the real challenges they face in keeping survivors safe and holding perpetrators accountable.

Tjasa shows us how we must create better systems to support women who experience violence effectively. Through their project, DNK reassessed how their perpetrator programme can ensure that the safety and perspective of the survivor is central to their perpetrator programme.

Collaboration with external experts is essential for continuously improving perpetrator programmes. During their project, Union of Women Associations of Heraklion worked closely with an experienced trainer to enhance the safety and effectiveness of their programme, aligning it more closely with European Standards for Perpetrator Programmes. 

Consequently, UWAH updated their programme's protocol and trained their team to support these changes. The revised protocols and programme will also create opportunities for training other programmes at regional and national levels, promoting widespread improvement.

Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation has used their grant to empower their team and fine-tune their programme, ensuring that their work aligns more closely with the European Standards.

Crucially, the team designed and implemented a procedure to inform ex and current partners of perpetrators about their involvement in the programme. Prioritising the safety and perspective of the survivors is a cornerstone of accountable perpetrator work

Serbia’s perpetrator programmes have struggled for years, with only four still active. With WWP´s grant this year, OPNA began to change this and create a system to ensure their quality. Through their advocacy, OPNA united key ministries to create a clear roadmap for progress. By positioning perpetrator programmes as a crucial part of Serbia’s domestic violence response system, OPNA can ensure that perpetrator programmes are supported and strengthened. Watch the video to hear Dr. Nada Padejski Šekerović, the OPNA project manager, talk about the importance of this work.

The European Standards for Perpetrator Work are a safety net for professionals working with abusive men. They help us ensure that our work is safe, accountable, and most importantly survivor-focused.  

Thanks to WWP´s grants this year, the standards are now available in Italian, Serbian, Slovenian, and Bulgarian, in addition to English. 

We look forward to supporting your work in 2025 through our grants. The call from next year´s grants will open in early January.

If you are interested in applying or have any questions about the grants, please reach out to our Grants Manager, Ola Hammadi.

We are happy to discuss your project ideas and provide support to all our members throughout the proposal writing process.