Associação Presença Feminina

Associação Presença Feminina - FEM is a Portuguese non-governmental organisation (ONG) dedicated to the defence of women's rights, their promotion and dignity, with particular emphasis on supporting victims of domestic violence. It was constituted on 23 November 1995 and is headquartered in the Bairro de Santo Amaro, in the parish of Santo António, in Funchal, on the island of Madeira. It is a non-profit body holding the status of Instituição Particular de Solidariedade Social (IPSS, Declaration no. 4 of 6 May 2002) and is recognised as a legal person of public utility (Declaration no. 548/2001). The association's statutory objectives include developing education, training and promotion actions for women; providing legal, psychological and social support to women; protecting and supporting the social integration of women victims of domestic violence; promoting opportunities for socialising and leisure; and fostering the exchange of information and experiences between women's support associations and other institutions. Its core mission is to support victims of the crime of domestic violence and their families, ensuring quality, free and confidential services. Operationally, Presença Feminina runs a shelter house for women victims of abuse and domestic violence, together with their minor children who are in situations of danger and without housing alternatives. It has developed work considered exemplary in supporting families living in the social housing neighbourhoods of Nogueira and Santo Amaro on the island of Madeira. The organisation is led by Helena Pestana, a teacher, and is present in several bodies, including the Council for Equality of the Funchal Municipal Council and the Regional Commission for Equality at Work and in Employment. Beyond Portugal, the association maintains protocols in Guinea-Bissau with the Companhia Missionária do Coração de Jesus, which runs the São Paulo school in the Bissau neighbourhood of the same name, with the Associação de Misericórdia e Socorro Portugal África, located in Bissorã, and with the association 'Bolama no Coração', based on Bolama Island. It also has links with other countries of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), such as Angola and Mozambique. According to data reported on its Portuguese Wikipedia page, the association received 1,340 victims of domestic violence from the year 2000 onwards, with 2017 being the year in which it carried out the most psychological support sessions. Between January and November 2017, Presença Feminina recorded 822 attendances related to domestic violence, covering psychological, social and legal support; the majority (371) concerned psychological support. Up to November 2017 it had received 111 people, of whom 59 were new victims of domestic violence, and in the same period it carried out 81 legal support sessions and 77 social support sessions. The Regional Government of Madeira supports the institution with a monthly contribution of 9,500 euros, and in November 2017 the regional secretary for Inclusion and Social Affairs, Rita Andrade, announced an additional 20,000 euros to cover one-off needs for the payment of goods and services, particularly for mothers in shelter situations with children requiring support such as school transport. On 10 June 2024 the association was awarded the degree of Honorary Member of the Order of Merit.

Associação Presença Feminina - FEM was constituted on 23 November 1995 in Funchal, Madeira, as a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the defence of women's rights, their promotion and dignity. Its founding purpose placed particular emphasis on supporting victims of domestic violence, at a time when public awareness and institutional responses to domestic violence in Portugal were still developing. The association is headquartered in the Bairro de Santo Amaro, in the parish of Santo António, in Funchal. In the years following its foundation, the organisation consolidated its legal and institutional standing. It was recognised as a legal person of public utility by Declaration no. 548/2001, and on 6 May 2002 it obtained the status of Instituição Particular de Solidariedade Social (IPSS) through Declaration no. 4. These recognitions allowed it to operate within Portugal's social solidarity framework and to access public support. From the year 2000 onwards, the association received 1,340 victims of domestic violence, according to data reported on its Portuguese Wikipedia page. It developed a broad support practice covering psychological, social and legal assistance, and it maintains and manages a shelter house for women victims of abuse and domestic violence and their minor children who are in situations of danger and without housing alternatives. It has also carried out work considered exemplary in supporting families living in the social housing neighbourhoods of Nogueira and Santo Amaro on the island of Madeira. The year 2017 was the year in which the institution carried out the most psychological support sessions. Between January and November 2017, Presença Feminina recorded 822 attendances related to domestic violence, the majority of which (371) concerned psychological support. In the same period it carried out 81 legal support sessions and 77 social support sessions, and received 111 people, of whom 59 were new victims of domestic violence. In November 2017, the regional secretary for Inclusion and Social Affairs, Rita Andrade, announced a reinforcement of twenty thousand euros to cover one-off needs for the payment of goods and services, particularly related to mothers in shelter situations who have children in their care requiring support such as school transport. The Regional Government of Madeira supports the institution with a monthly contribution of 9,500 euros. Internationally, the association maintains protocols in Guinea-Bissau with the Companhia Missionária do Coração de Jesus, which runs the São Paulo school in the Bissau neighbourhood of the same name, with the Associação de Misericórdia e Socorro Portugal África, located in Bissorã, and with the association 'Bolama no Coração', based on Bolama Island. It also has links with other countries of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, such as Angola and Mozambique. The association is led by Helena Pestana, a teacher, and is present in several bodies, including the Council for Equality of the Funchal Municipal Council and the Regional Commission for Equality at Work and in Employment. On 10 June 2024, it was awarded the degree of Honorary Member of the Order of Merit, recognising its long-standing contribution to the protection of women and families in Madeira and beyond.

• Associação Presença Feminina - FEM constituted in Funchal, Madeira.

• Recognised as a legal person of public utility (Declaration no. 548/2001).

• Granted the status of Instituição Particular de Solidariedade Social (IPSS) by Declaration no. 4.

• Regional Government of Madeira announces an additional 20,000 euros to cover one-off needs, particularly for mothers in shelter with children requiring school transport support.

• Awarded the degree of Honorary Member of the Order of Merit.

Non-profit, free and confidential support services for women victims of domestic violence, combined with advocacy for women's rights and gender equality in Portugal.

1. 1Associação Presença Feminina official website homepageapfeminina.wixsite.com
2. 2SOBRE NÓS | inicioapfeminina.wixsite.com
3. 3Associação Presença Feminina - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Associação Presença Feminina - Wikipedia (Portuguese)pt.wikipedia.org