The Norway Grants programme “Human Rights, Roma Inclusion and Domestic and Gender-based Violence” was officially launched at a conference in Prague on 13 March 2019. Within the programming period of Norway Grants 2014 - 2021 more than half a billion of Czech Korunas will be distributed by the Ministry of Finance among projects aimed at protection and prevention of domestic and gender-based violence, human rights protection, inclusion of Roma in Czech society, and Roma empowerment.

The conference was attended by more than 80 professionals, experts and representatives of public administration, the NGO sector and the academic sphere who are active in the areas of programme support. The Czech Ministry of Finance, the Council of Europe and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights presented the objective of the programme and its 3 programme areas, and the general framework of supported activities was discussed.

The presentation by Jenna Shearer Demir of the Council of Europe focused on the work of the Gender Equality Division under the Norway Grants in Council of Europe member states. She further provided comparative statistics on violence against women and domestic violence in member states, promoted ratification of the Istanbul Convention in the Czech Republic and discussed misconceptions about the Convention.

Under Norway Grant funding, the Gender Equality Division of the Council of Europe will run the 2-year project Implementing European standards to combat gender based violence and domestic violence in the Czech Republic, beginning in January 2020.