6th Panhellenic Conference of Elected Women of Primary Local Government, Ermoupoli / Greeting

From:

Organizing Committee of the Conference

“The Contribution of Elected Women to Political and Social Developments and the European Dimension”

Dear friends,

I had a strong desire to attend the conference you are organizing and to contribute to your discussion about the role women can play in the economic, social, cultural, and political development of our country through their participation in elected bodies of Local Government. However, my justified absence does not prevent me from greeting your event today and congratulating the Organizing Committee for their organization and for contributing to the opening of a fruitful dialogue that I am sure will be substantial and productive.

It is clear to all of us the crucial role that Local Government Organizations of the first and second degree play in building a society where responsibilities in the political, economic, social, and cultural sectors must be shared equally by men and women.

However, while we proudly count 57% female students in the universities of our country and observe the dynamic presence of women in all professional and scientific fields, we unfortunately find that these significant changes are not accompanied by a corresponding representation of women in democratic institutions and political decision-making centers. As is known, out of the 54 elected prefects, only 2 are women, representing 3.7%, and out of the 1,029 elected mayors, only 15 are women, which is 1.45%, one of the lowest percentages in the world.

Undoubtedly, the infrastructures in the fields of health, education, social welfare, and childcare, the care and support for socially excluded individuals, the protection of the environment, peace, and all issues related to improving the quality of life—which are fundamental parameters of sustainable development—can receive special promotion if a “critical mass of women” participates in the planning and decision-making processes, particularly at the local government level.

For this reason, I believe that the legislative regulation passed by the Greek Parliament in April 2001, which states that “under penalty of inadmissibility of the declaration establishing the list of candidates participating in the Regional and Municipal Elections” (cancellation of the ballot), the number of candidates from each gender must be at least one-third of the total number of candidates in each list, will remain incomplete and insufficient if a large number of women are not elected in the October 2002 elections, who will bring life to the new institutions.

Today, it is urgent to take advantage of the new legislative regulation and, during the next year, to act in a coordinated manner so that:

• Ø To convince women who have a significant presence in the local community, challenging established views and centuries-old constraints, to dare to practically contest their exclusion from political life and to claim, for themselves and for future generations, the right to participate in the planning of the society of the future and in the decision-making processes that affect them.
• Ø To convince the electorate that the balanced participation of men and women in politics is a fundamental prerequisite for the advancement of any democratic society and the creation of a better world.

I wish you good luck in your conference proceedings.