WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE EUROPE:  WAVE is a network of European women's non-governmental organisations working in the field of combating violence against women and children (women's refuges, counselling centres, SOS hotlines/helplines, organisations focusing on prevention and training, etc.). Currently the network focuses specifically on violence in the family and in intimate relationships.
The network sets out to promote and strengthen the human rights of women and children in general and to prevent violence against women and children in particular. We fully support the aims of the United Nations, stressing the importance of working towards ending all forms of violence against women and children in public and private life in accordance with the Vienna Declaration, the Declaration on Violence against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action and all other related documents.

THE WAVE OFFICE The Wave Office in Vienna is the network's co-ordination point. It was set up on the premises of the Information Centre Against Violence in Vienna. The Co-ordination Office acts as an information and service office for members or anybody else requiring information. Its principal functions are: to collect and disseminate data on organisations working in the field of violence against women and children and on the applicable legal provisions, prevention programmes, campaigns and international activities in this area; to issue publications (newsletters, conference reports, national reports etc.); and to organise and co-ordinate events such as the WAVE Conference and Steering Group meetings.
The Co-ordination Office acts as a point of contact between women's aid bodies in Europe and seeks primarily to accelerate the flow of support and information. Because we are at the same time compiling an address database, we have been able to draw on extensive data resources in responding to inquiries.

The WAVE Network was founded in 1994 and launched its activities at the World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. Because of lack of funding the network could not fully develop its activities until 1997. In that year the European Commission started the DAPHNE Initiative, which supports transnational projects aimed at preventing and combating violence against women and children. The WAVE Network successfully applied for funding and was able to set up the basic structure of the network, starting in November 1997. In January 1998 the first WAVE Conference took place in Vienna with 57 participants from 23 European countries. The WAVE Office produces reports, information material and a quarterly WAVE Newsletter. Additionally a database has been established containing addresses of women's organisations and basic information on the situation in each European country.

AIMS OF THE NETWORK to gather information in relation to male violence against women and children to exchange information on women's organisations, research, applicable laws and prevention strategies to influence national and European/international policies on violence to take common action and further feminist analysis to promote feminist analyses of violence against women to develop and promote criteria and guidelines at the European level in relation to legislation, services and prevention strategies to offer mutual aid (financial, training, resources) to enhance awareness and create a deeper understanding of male violence against women to strengthen the links between different regions in Europe to strengthen the rights of marginalised women

European Commission FURTHER SPONSORS: Austrian Minister for Women's Affairs Austrian Ministry of the Interior Austrian Ministry for Science and Transport Austrian Ministry for Employment, Health and Social Affairs Austrian Ministry for Education and Cultural Affairs Municipal Department for the Promotion and Co-ordination of Women's Affairs

WAVE Office and European Information Centre Against Violence

Bacherplatz 10/4

A-1050 Vienna, Austria

phone: ++43-1-5482720 fax: ++43-1-5482720-27

web site: http://www.wave-network.org 

WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE EUROPE

WAVE is a network of European women's non-governmental organisations working in the field of combating violence against women and children (women's refuges, counselling centres, SOS hotlines/helplines, organisations focusing on prevention and training, etc.). Currently the network focuses specifically on violence in the family and in intimate relationships.

The network sets out to promote and strengthen the human rights of women and children in general and to prevent violence against women and children in particular. We fully support the aims of the United Nations, stressing the importance of working towards ending all forms of violence against women and children in public and private life in accordance with the Vienna Declaration, the Declaration on Violence against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action and all other related documents.

STRUCTURE

The network comprises approximately 1,000 women's organisations combating violence against women and children in Europe. At the regional and national level about 50 Focal Points form the basis of the network. They undertake to disseminate WAVE information regularly to groups within their network, to collate information from their network and to pass it on to the WAVE Office in Vienna, to the Steering Group or to the other Focal Points.