LADIES DIARY OF CHANGE - active ladies in peace dialogue

Hara Kouki, ELIAMEPAthens, Greece

Gender Equality in Greece:are we there yet?

Gender Equality Male public space, labour, politics Female private sphere, family, house

=Gender Roles Socially Constructed

• Not a reality: we can change this situation• Not only personal, collective: it is about all of us

France, 18th centuryFrench 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 Womanand of the Woman Citizen (1791)Women must have equal rights with Men

Britain, early 20th century

Virginia Woolf: A Room of One’s Own (1926)

‘men socially and psychically dominatewomen...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’

Greece at a GlancePopulation of 11 million

1900-1974: Wars, Dictatorship, Refugees...1821: Greek War of Independence 1830: independent Greek Kingdom1922: 1.5 million refugees from Minor Asia1946-49: civil war1967-1974: military dictatorship1974 and then: Presidential Parliamentary

Democracy1981: European Union Member/ currency

euro (2001)

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

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

1. Women in Greece1900 -1950

Education:for women (primary), good housewivesfor men (universities), good citizens1919: 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)

1. Women’s Movement in Greece

1900-1950Women 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 formunicipal elections

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

2. Women in Greece, 1950-1980

2. Eleni, born in 196052 years old

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

2. Women in Greece, 1950-19801975 Constitution: All Greeks, men and women, are equal before the Law and have equal rights and obligations

1981: 20 women in Parliament1982: 1.113 women Municipal members (300%

up)Work: less in agriculture, more in cities workingEducation: 39% in high schools, 28% in

Universities

2. Women in Greece, 1950-1980

2. Eleni, born in 1960 (52 years old)

Daily LifeBorn 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 theatreShe has travelled in other countries more than 15 timesShe reads the newspapers

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

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

Women’s Movementin the World, 1950-1980

Personal is Political Private is Public (Not JUST) The right to voteThe right to receive an equal wageThe right to be represented in political

and institutionsThe right to speak your mind, instead of

being dismissed because you are a womanThe right to financial independenceThe right to choose your path in life

The Half is Yours, 1977

Women in Public Administration, 1982

Feminist Magazine, The Cleaning Lady, 1978

3. Women in Greece, 1980-2010

Margarita, born in 199022 years old

3. Women in Greece in Law:

1980-20101981: Greece member of European Union

1983-2010: national and European laws family (end of patriarchy, husband and wife equal),

educationemployment (same wages for same labour, a pregnant woman cannot be fired)

social security (maternity leave)2003: positive actions for gender equality

3. Women in practice:1980-2010Education: 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 workPolitics: more women in parliamentmany more in municipalities

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

3. Women in Greece: 1980-2010

Margarita, born in 1990, 22 years old

Daily LifeBorn in Athens,Speaks French and EnglishStudies Media in ThessalonikiLives aloneErasmus student in Barcelona nowInterested in PoliticsLikes Travelling

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?

a. Women in politics todayIncrease of female elected members of Parliament and municipalities

Women in the Greek Parliament: 10% -15%, low by European standards (22.5%)

23% in mediaNot present in decision making processes/ in how men and women are represented !

Is there something missing?

...it is missing!!

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?

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!

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?

c. Women at Work todayJobs: with little power or responsibilityWages: lower than men’s Family and Career: stop working when they have children, less responsibilities/ wages when back- inflexible timetables

Unemployed: 65% womenHousehold: spent 38 hours a week on house work (men 9 hours a week)

Women Migrants: in worse position of all

Can women have both family and career?

women are forced to choose between having children and working

women can combine working and having children

Glass ceiling -not only in Greece)

Transparent Wall in work that obstructs women from developing their skills

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

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)different wages

What can we do?

Professional orientation at schoolPlanning + hard work + strong minded

Equal Opportunities PoliciesCollective mobilization and networking (women’s groups/ trade unions)

Flexible work conditionsMedia awareness

Are we there yet?

• Change in law is not enough • Change in mentalities both of men and women is needed