A memorandum of cooperation between the Greek government and the Vodafone Foundation on "Technology against the use of gender and domestic violence" was signed on Saturday, during the 7th Delphi Economic Forum.
This will allow women to use an app developed by the company in collaboration with the Hellenic Police to report incidents of abusive behaviour by pressing a secret panic button on the mobile phone.
Minister of State Akis Skertsos expressed satisfaction with the innovative action to deal with the disturbing crimes of violence and murders of women, which showed an alarming rise during the pandemic.
He noted that women in Greece "have not gained the position they deserve" and that "many steps remained to be taken in politics" toward this end.
The minister said that, in the initial phase, the app will not be made available to the general public but to women who are already victims of violence, while it will be hidden in the mobile phone's software.
Deputy Labour and Social Affairs Minister responsible for gender equality issues, Maria Syreggela, outlined steps taken to help victims, including finding them a job as a large percentage were unemployed.