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

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

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’

Greece at a Glance 1821: Greek War of Independence 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)

1.Katerina, born in 1930 (82 years old) 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 Greece 1900 -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)

1. Women’s Movement in Greece 1900-1950 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

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 1960 52 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, 1950-1980 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

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

2. Women in Greece, 1950-1980 Eleni, 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 in Greece, 1950-1980 Eleni, born in 1960

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 Movement in 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

The Half is Yours, 1977

Women in Public Administration, 1982

Feminist Magazine, The Cleaning Lady, 1978

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

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

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

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 Life Born in Athens, Speaks French and English Studies Media in Thessaloniki Lives alone Erasmus student in Barcelona now Interested in Politics Likes 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 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 !

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 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

women are forced to choose between having children and working 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 school Planning + hard work + strong minded Equal Opportunities Policies Collective mobilization and networking (women’s groups/ trade unions) Flexible work conditions Media awareness

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