The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme is a European Union funding initiative established in 2021 and set to run through 2027. Designed to protect and promote the rights and values enshrined in the EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, CERV supports efforts to build open, rights-based, inclusive and democratic societies across Europe. It achieves this by providing financial backing to civil society organisations, public authorities, research bodies and other stakeholders active at local, national and transnational levels.
Within this broad framework, one of its most impactful components is the Daphne strand, which focuses specifically on preventing and combating gender-based violence in all its forms, including violence against women and girls — as well as related violence against children and other groups at risk. Through Daphne, the EU supports concrete, on-the-ground actions across Member States: developing prevention tools for schools and workplaces, training professionals who interact with victims, strengthening access to support services, improving data and research, and funding awareness campaigns that address root causes of gender-based violence. By enabling collaborative initiatives that combine research, best practice exchange and direct intervention, the CERV programme plays a critical role in driving structural change and reinforcing Europe’s commitment to gender equality and safe, inclusive workplaces.