Violence against older women is a gender-specific and major social problem worldwide and in every European country, requiring a coordinated multi-agency response. The MARVOW project showed gaps in the system designed to tackle domestic abuse. The project identified the need for coordinated multi-agency teamwork at the national and regional levels, and to build capacity among key services to focus more appropriately on violence against older women. 

MARVOW 2.0 will establish large-scale transnational action with the aim to improve the services available to older victims of gender-based violence in 7 European countries, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain, and create recommendations and guidance on the EU level.

The objectives of Marvow 2.0 include:

• Developing bespoke risk assessment and case management methodologies and tools for frontline professionals and specialised services
• Organising capacity building and training programmes for all the engaged professionals in the ecosystem  
• Introducing, testing, and mainstreaming coordinated multiagency work protocols and outlining policy recommendations for key stakeholders
• Creating a legal framework improvement proposals/plans/policy recommendations
• Disseminating project results among targeted professionals, institutions, policymakers and communities to advocate and stimulate dialogue and replication at the national & EU levels and beyond

The Marvow 2.0 project will strengthen cooperation between key services and agencies, as well as raise awareness among services and key stakeholders and ensure higher access to support services for older women who are potential victims of domestic violence.

The project will create a model of operation for multi-stakeholder teamwork, including upscaling risk assessment and creating a comprehensive case management system, and capacity building of key services such as victim support services and perpetrator programmes. 

Moreover, the project employs strong European networks which allow the creation, provision, and dissemination of policy recommendations at the EU level and replication of all project outputs.

• Policy recommendations to tackle the abuse of older women
• Protocol for Multi-agency Collaboration to respond to abuse of older women 
• Advocacy strategy template for replication across Europe

• AÖF, The Association of Autonomous Austrian Women’s Shelters (Verein AÖF) is the umbrella organization of women's shelters responsible for the coordination of the MARVOW 2.0 project
• AGE Platform Europe, a network of +100 organisations of and for older people in Europe, aiming to voice and promote the interests of more than older citizens, Europe, responsible for delivering MARVOW 2.0 final conference
• Association NAIA, established in 2002 with the mission of supporting vulnerable groups of society, with the long-term goal for society to develop its own mechanisms for solving problems such as gender-based violence and violence against children, Bulgaria, responsible for implementing MARVOW 2.0 in Bulgaria
• Anci Lazio, is a regional branch of the National Association of Italian Municipalities, consisting of local councils and representing the development interests of its member, Italy, responsible for implementing MARVOW 2.0 in Italy
• Conexus, Associació CONEXUS Atenció, Formació i Investigació Psicosocials, non-profit NGO working on gender-based violence, with expertise in offering intervention programmes for women and children and for male perpetrators, Spain, responsible of implementing MARVOW 2.0 in Spain
• Psytel, a cooperative of independent experts working in the field of information systems in health and prevention of violence against children, adolescents and women, France, responsible for risk assessment and case management in MARVOW 2.0
• MIGS, The Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS) is based at the University of Nicosia and conducts research, training, and advocacy to promote women's rights and gender equality in public policies, Cyprus, responsible for capacity building of professionals in MARVOW 2.0
• UWAH, NGO active in the promotion and protection of women’s and children rights; while also engaging with raising awareness and advocating for human rights at local, national and European level, Greece, responsible for multi-agency collaboration protocol in MARVOW 2.0
• WWP EN, the European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence, Germany and Europe, responsible for dissemination and advocacy in MARVOW 2.0

Press release - Launch of MARVOW 2.0 May 2023

Online workshop - "Never too late: Protecting older women from DV, holding older men to account"

Report on Multi-Agency Work with Perpetrators (MARVOW)

Replication guidelines on how to implement the multi-agency cooperation model (MARVOW)

Best practices report (MARVOW)

AGE guidelines to avoid stereotypical communication when talking about ageing and older people

Guidelines for age inclusive communications

Communications contact: Dimitra Mintsidis – WWP European Network – d.mintsidis(at)work-with-perpetrators.eu 

Coordinator: Alicja Switon - AÖF - alicja.switon(at)aoef.at 

MARVOW 2.0 website