Last updated: November 2026
Sappho Women (“we”, “us”, “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you use womensfestival.eu (the “Site”), purchase festival products or services, apply to participate in the International Eressos Women’s Festival, contact us or otherwise interact with Sappho Women.
1. Who We Are – Data Controller
Sappho Women Non-Profit (AMKE)
Skala Eressos 81105
Lesvos Island, Greece
VAT registration: EL800148580
Ministry of Culture registration: 10112
Email: contact@sapphowomen.org
Tel.: +30 22534 01004
Sappho Women acts as the data controller for personal data processed in connection with the Site and the International Eressos Women’s Festival.
We do not sell, rent or trade personal data.
2. Personal Data We May Collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
- Identity and contact details, such as your name, email address, telephone number and postal address.
- Account information, including login details and wristband-holder or booking status.
- Transaction information, such as orders, payments, refunds and purchase history.
- Festival participation information, including performer, workshop, volunteer or other applications, activity registrations and festival attendance information.
- Communications, including enquiries, correspondence, complaints or incident reports submitted to us.
- Technical information, such as IP address, browser type, device information, server logs and cookie-related information.
- Marketing preferences, including newsletter subscriptions and communication preferences.
3. Special Category Personal Data
In some circumstances, information provided to us may include personal data that receives additional protection under data protection law, such as information concerning health, sexual orientation or other sensitive personal circumstances.
We do not ask for special category personal data unless it is genuinely relevant to a particular purpose. However, such information may sometimes be provided voluntarily, for example in connection with an accessibility request, participation application, safeguarding matter, incident report or enquiry about eligibility for an activity.
Where we process special category personal data, we will do so only where an appropriate legal basis and additional condition under applicable data protection law applies, and we will limit the processing to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
4. How We Collect Your Data
We may collect personal data:
- Directly from you when you create an account, make a purchase, register for an activity, submit an application or form, subscribe to communications or contact us.
- Automatically through cookies, server logs and similar technologies when you use the Site.
- From service providers involved in transactions or communications, such as payment providers, hosting services or email platforms.
- From another person where they legitimately provide information relating to you, for example in connection with an enquiry, incident or group activity.
5. How We Use Personal Data
We may use personal data to:
- Process festival wristband purchases, orders, payments and refunds.
- Manage website accounts and wristband-holder access.
- Administer bookings, registrations, excursions and festival activities.
- Review and manage performer, workshop, volunteer and other participation applications.
- Communicate important festival, programme, booking or safety information.
- Respond to enquiries, accessibility requests, complaints and incident reports.
- Provide customer support.
- Maintain the security and proper functioning of the Site.
- Understand and improve how the Site and our services are used.
- Send newsletters or other marketing communications where you have consented or where otherwise permitted by law.
- Comply with legal, tax, accounting and regulatory obligations.
- Establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.
6. Legal Bases for Processing
Depending on the circumstances, we process personal data on one or more of the following legal bases:
- Performance of a contract – where processing is necessary to provide a product, wristband, booking, service or activity you have requested.
- Legal obligation – where we are required to retain or process information under applicable law, including tax and accounting requirements.
- Legitimate interests – where processing is reasonably necessary for the operation, administration, security or protection of Sappho Women and the festival, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
- Consent – where we rely on your permission, for example for newsletters, marketing communications or non-essential cookies.
Where special category personal data is processed, an additional condition under Article 9 GDPR or other applicable law must also apply.
7. Sharing Personal Data
We may share personal data with trusted service providers where this is necessary to operate the Site, process payments, provide communications or deliver festival services.
These may include:
- Website hosting and technical service providers.
- Payment processors and banking providers.
- Email and newsletter services.
- Analytics and website security providers.
- Professional advisers where reasonably necessary.
- Authorities or other organisations where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect legal rights or safety.
Service providers processing personal data on our behalf are required to handle it securely and in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.
We do not sell personal data to third parties.
8. International Data Transfers
Some of our service providers may process personal data outside Greece or the European Economic Area.
Where personal data is transferred outside the European Economic Area, we will use an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism or safeguard where required by GDPR, such as an adequacy decision or approved contractual safeguards.
9. Data Retention
We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, tax, accounting, contractual or dispute-resolution requirements.
Different categories of information may therefore be retained for different periods.
For example:
- Transaction and accounting records may be retained for the period required by Greek tax and accounting law.
- Account and booking information may be retained while an account remains active and for an appropriate period afterwards.
- Unsuccessful participation applications may be deleted or anonymised once they are no longer required for the relevant festival edition, unless there is a legitimate reason to retain them longer.
- Correspondence, complaints or incident records may be retained where necessary to manage an ongoing matter, protect legal rights or respond to future disputes.
- Marketing information will normally be retained until consent is withdrawn, you unsubscribe, or it is no longer reasonably required.
You may request deletion of personal data, although the right to deletion is subject to applicable legal exceptions.
10. Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
These measures may include secure hosting, encrypted connections, access controls, account security measures and appropriate restrictions on who may access personal information.
No online system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect the information entrusted to us.
11. Your Data Protection Rights
Depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing, you may have the right to:
- Request access to your personal data.
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Request deletion of personal data in certain circumstances.
- Request restriction of processing.
- Object to certain processing, including processing based on legitimate interests.
- Request data portability where applicable.
- Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
- Object to certain solely automated decisions where applicable.
These rights are not absolute and may be subject to conditions or exceptions under applicable law.
To exercise your rights, please contact contact@sapphowomen.org.
We will respond within the time required by applicable data protection law, normally within one month.
12. Cookies & Similar Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Site and, with your consent where required, to understand how it is used or provide optional third-party features.
Strictly necessary cookies may be used without consent where they are required for essential functions such as secure login, shopping cart functionality, checkout, session management and privacy preferences.
Non-essential and third-party cookies, including analytics, embedded media, marketing or social media cookies, will only be activated where the required consent has been obtained.
You can manage your preferences through the cookie controls available on the Site and may change your choices at any time.
13. Marketing Communications
Where you have subscribed to our newsletter or other marketing communications, we may use your contact details to send festival news, programme announcements and related updates.
You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe option included in our communications or by contacting us.
Withdrawing marketing consent will not affect other communications that we need to send in connection with a purchase, booking or festival activity.
14. Children & Young People
The International Eressos Women’s Festival is an adult programme and is not organised as a children’s or family festival.
We do not knowingly create website accounts for, or directly market services to, children.
Where personal data relating to a child or young person is legitimately provided to us in connection with an event, enquiry or other appropriate circumstance, it will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.
15. Automated Decision-Making
We do not currently use personal data to make decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.
16. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, website systems, service providers or legal requirements.
The latest version will be published on this page together with the date of the most recent update.
17. Contact & Complaints
If you have questions, concerns or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the way we process personal data, please contact:
Sappho Women Non-Profit (AMKE)
Skala Eressos 81105
Lesvos Island, Greece
Tel.: +30 22534 01004
Email: contact@sapphowomen.org
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Hellenic Data Protection Authority if you believe your personal data has been processed unlawfully.
Hellenic Data Protection Authority
VAT registration EL800148580
Ministry of Culture registration 10112