more vulnerable not only to the effects of the economic crisis, but also to male violence in all its forms. The Greek government has given top priority to these groups of women in public interventions. 7. The National Programme for Substantive Gender Equality 2010-2013 recognises that despite the significant efforts that have been made in Greece during the last 30 years, gender based-discrimination is still a reality. Discrimination is directly connected to gender inequalities in employment, income, political and social power, leisure, and care for dependent persons, family and personal life. The Programme has taken two points into account a) the government’s orientation to provide services to citizens and b) feminist analysis on public policies. The Programme is of national scope. Its actions cover all the country’s regions, addressing a wide range of regional as well as national public policies. In accordance with the framework of good governance-including transparency and accountability-extensive consultation has been undertaken with women’s organisations, all parliamentary parties, women’s groups, and with all former General Secretaries for Gender Equality. The evaluation of the National Programme results is conducted on an annual basis. The National Programme is funded by the National Strategic Reference Framework. 8. The Programme has four strategic goals a) protection of women’s rights and orientation of interventions towards women’s groups that face multiple discrimination b) Prevention and combating of all forms and types of violence against women c) Support of women’s employment and their financial independence d) Highlighting of gender equality through cultural creation. 9. The Programme is structured on three pillars a) improvement, strengthening and enforcement of gender equality legislation b) specific gender equality policies developed by the national mechanisms for gender c) gender mainstreaming through policies in cooperation with other Ministries. Minority Women and girls and the right to education 10. The Greek Government is firmly committed to continue its policy to uphold the right to education for the Muslim minority and is working in the direction of a) Improving the functioning of the existing minority schools (188 primary minority schools, 2 secondary schools and 2 Koranic schools in Thrace). b) Accommodating the preference to the public educational system increasingly shown by person belonging to the Muslim minority. c) Accommodating for courses aiming at preserving the linguistic and cultural characteristics of persons belonging to the minority who attend public schools. 11. Higher Education: a 0.5% quota for the admission to Universities and Higher Technical Educational Institutes/Institutions of students who are members of the Muslim minority in Thrace was introduced 15 years ago. This positive measure regarding entrance examinations led to 500 students per year entering Greek universities and higher technical institutions. The obvious advantages of this measure are the promotion of