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Gender Equality in Greece: are we there yet?

Gender Equality in Greece: are we there yet?. LADIES DIARY OF CHANGE - active ladies in peace dialogue Hara Kouki, ELIAMEP Athens, Greece. Gender Equality. Male  public space, labour, politics Female  private sphere, family, house = Gender Roles Socially Constructed

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Gender Equality in Greece: are we there yet?

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  1. Gender Equality in Greece:are we there yet? LADIES DIARY OF CHANGE - active ladies in peace dialogue Hara Kouki, ELIAMEP Athens, Greece

  2. Gender Equality Malepublic space, labour, politics Female  private sphere, family, house =GenderRoles Socially Constructed • Not a reality: we can change this situation • Not only personal, collective: it is about all of us

  3. France, 18th century • French Revolution: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1791): challenge what was taken for normal, institutions and morals • Olympiad de Gouges: Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Woman Citizen(1791) Women must have equal rights with Men

  4. Britain, early 20th century • Virginia Woolf: A Room of One’s Own(1926) ‘men socially and psychically dominate women...women are simultaneously victims of themselves as well as victims of men and are upholders of society by acting as mirrors to men...a woman must have money and a room of her own’

  5. Greece at a Glance Population of 11 million 1900-1974: Wars, Dictatorship, Refugees... • 1821: Greek War of Independence • 1830: independent Greek Kingdom • 1922: 1.5 million refugees from Minor Asia • 1946-49: civil war • 1967-1974: military dictatorship • 1974 and then: Presidential Parliamentary Democracy • 1981: European Union Member/ currency euro (2001)

  6. Women in Greece: 1900-1950 1.Katerina, born in 1930 (82 years old) • Daily Life: Born, raised and lived all her life in a small village- visited only few times a big city, Athens

  7. Work: working all day until her 70s in the fields (agriculture) with her husband- but this was not considered as work/ running the family’s home: preparing food, cleaning the house/ clothes, raising 10 children, caring for her old parents and parents-in-law- but this was not considered as work • Education: 4 years of primary education, but after some years she forgot how to write, she could read, but never read newspapers

  8. 1. Women in Greece1900 -1950 • Education: • for women (primary), good housewives • for men (universities), good citizens • 1919: 392 Women in Universities out of 30.000 • Employment women start working as maids in cities/ workers in industries/ teachers for girls- situation very bad (timetable/ wages)

  9. 1. Women’s Movement in Greece1900-1950 • Women refugees + against Nazi occupation/ during Civil war  different role in society + financial needs • Committee for the Rights of Woman (1923-36): citizenship rights • 1928: first public assembly for the women’s right to vote • 1936: vote only for municipal elections

  10. 1. Women’s Movement in the World,1900- 1950 Women started working outside home Women started asking for the right to vote and political equality -Australia: 1902 -Finland: 1906 -United Kingdom: 1918 -United States: 1920 -France: 1944 -Iraq: 1980

  11. 2. Women in Greece, 1950-1980 2. Eleni, born in 1960 52 years old

  12. 2. Women in Greece, 1950-1980 • 1954: Right to Vote • 1961: First Woman Member of Parliament, • 1964: 135 women Municipal council members • 1967-1974: Women fight against Dictatorship

  13. 2. Women in Greece, 1950-1980 • 1975 Constitution: All Greeks, men and women, are equal before the Law and have equal rights and obligations • 1981: 20 women in Parliament • 1982: 1.113 women Municipal members (300% up) • Work: less in agriculture, more in cities working • Education: 39% in high schools, 28% in Universities

  14. 2. Women in Greece, 1950-1980 2. Eleni, born in 1960 (52 years old) • Daily Life • Born in the village – studied (University) in Athens. • She met her husband (engineer) at the University, they got married and they have 2 daughters • They live in Athens. • She likes going to the theatre • She has travelled in other countries more than 15 times • She reads the newspapers

  15. 2. Women in Greece, 1950-1980Eleni, born in 1960 Education: She has a university degree in Education. She speaks French. Work: Teacher in public primary school - housewife. Stopped working for 8 years to raise her kids. Politics: She is interested-votes differently than her husband

  16. 2. Women’s Movement in Greece, 1950-1980 Still men are prepared to work and be leaders in public life and women are educated, but are mainly responsible for the family/house (good housewives)depending on the husband  • Radical Women’s associations and feminist groups/ magazines-events • Demands for equal treatment in public life, law, workplace, family and fighting against violence and for sexuality 

  17. Women’s Movementin the World, 1950-1980 Personal is Political Private is Public • (Not JUST) The right to vote • The right to receive an equal wage • The right to be represented in political and institutions • The right to speak your mind, instead of being dismissed because you are a woman • The right to financial independence • The right to choose your path in life

  18. The Half is Yours, 1977

  19. Women in Public Administration, 1982

  20. Feminist Magazine, The Cleaning Lady, 1978

  21. 3. Women in Greece, 1980-2010 Margarita, born in 1990 22 years old

  22. 3. Women in Greece in Law: 1980-2010 • 1981: Greece member of European Union • 1983-2010:national and European laws • family(end of patriarchy, husband and wife equal), • education • employment (same wages for same labour, a pregnant woman cannot be fired) • social security (maternity leave) • 2003: positive actions for gender equality

  23. 3. Women in practice:1980-2010 • Education: • in high school 50% girls • in University more women than men! • Work: • 39% of total labour force • 50% of women work, • 75% of women with children work • Politics: • more women in parliament • many more in municipalities

  24. 3. Movements for Gender Equality in the World 1980-2010 European +Global: European Women’s Lobby/ World March for Women International/ Women in Black National: Migrants associations, Groups against Trafficking, against Unemployment Network/ solidarity

  25. 3. Women in Greece: 1980-2010 Margarita, born in 1990,22 years old • Daily Life • Born in Athens, • Speaks French and English • Studies Media in Thessaloniki • Lives alone • Erasmus student in Barcelona now • Interested in Politics • Likes Travelling

  26. 3. Women in Greece: 1980-2010 • How do you think Margarita will be in her 40s? Married with children or well known journalist? Or both? • Are women equal to men today? Do women have problems even if laws are there? What do you think?

  27. a. Women in politics today • Increase of female elected members of Parliament and municipalities • Women in the Greek Parliament: 10% -15%, low by European standards (22.5%) • 23% in media • Not present in decision making processes/ in how men and women are represented !

  28. Is there something missing?...it is missing!!

  29. Why there are few women in positions of responsibility? • they are not interested? • women are less ready than men to fight to make a career? • women have less time because of their family? • work environment is dominated by men who do not trust women? • women do not always have the required qualities to hold positions of responsibility?

  30. b. Women in Education Today • very high percentage of women who pursue higher education • but still 75-85% in arts and humanities and 15-25% in technical and engineering • Male and female studies/ professions!

  31. Work is as important for men as for women? • Which professions are for men and which are for women? • What kind of skills do you need in order to become politician? • Women have other skills than men?

  32. c. Women at Work today • Jobs: with little power or responsibility • Wages: lower than men’s • Family and Career: stop working when they have children, less responsibilities/ wages when back- inflexible timetables • Unemployed: 65% women • Household: spent 38 hours a week on house work (men 9 hours a week) • Women Migrants: in worse position of all

  33. Can women have both family and career? • women are forced to choose between having children and working • women can combine working and having children

  34. Glass ceiling -not only in Greece) Transparent Wall in work that obstructs women from developing their skills

  35. Glass ceiling: How? • stereotypes in society (women work, men make a career) • other expectations from parents (my son will be a lawyer, my daughter will become a teacher, but the important is to have a family) • not good education and professional orientation (girls are good in humanities and arts, boys are better in physics and engineering subjects) • sexual harassment

  36. Glass ceiling: How? • unjust selection of employees (she will stay pregnant, so it’s better to hire a man) • discriminations (the man will be better in deciding) • difficult when family (abandon the job to have time for the baby, inflexible timetables) • differentwages

  37. What can we do? • Professional orientation at school • Planning + hard work + strong minded • Equal Opportunities Policies • Collective mobilization and networking (women’s groups/ trade unions) • Flexible work conditions • Media awareness

  38. Are we there yet? Change in law is not enough  Change in mentalities both of men and women is needed

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