8 March 2008, with the naked photograph of Beauvoir..

THE MBOUVAIR AND THE GENDER OF POLITICS.

8 March 2008, with a nude photograph of Beauvoir…

Article by Anna Karamanou

The naked photograph of Simone de Beauvoir, the author of “The Second Sex,” on the cover of “Nouvel Observateur” and the extensive references to her love life unabashedly revealed the terms and conditions for recognizing a woman’s worth, no matter how distinguished she may be. The philosopher, holder of the highest academic title, award-winning author of the Prix Goncourt, committed to the cause of feminism and the left, is presented at times as a woman and lover, swept away by her desires and passions, and at other times as the “Sartrean Iron Lady” – never as a political figure who fundamentally shook the patriarchal order and the gender of politics.

One hundred years since the birth of Simone de Beauvoir and about sixty years since the publication of “The Second Sex,” which was published censored even in Sweden, Beauvoir’s successors are still fighting, with victories and defeats, aiming for the obvious: the de facto recognition of gender equality and solidarity. Certainly, the legislation and guidelines of the EU are important for gender equality; however, they are not sufficient to overturn the structural and institutional dynamics that continue to produce inequalities and divisions based on gender – a bipolar system of power, where dominance is identified with “masculinity” and manliness, and subordination with femininity.

The recent, highly relevant book by Maria Stratigaki “The Gender of Social Policy” is exceptionally dedicated to those who believe we have finished with gender equality. The book constitutes a significant contribution, both to science and to the social struggles for equality. Maria utilizes and further develops the rich feminist theory and research that began dynamically with Beauvoir and continues to this day, within the framework of the reflection on the role of the state in the oppression of women and the reproduction of anachronistic stereotypes. She notes that “male power over women has been inscribed in the bodies of both sexes, resulting in it being accepted as a natural and not as a social condition.” In other words, the examination of gender highlights the influence of “hegemonic masculinity” at the core of economic and social life.

Feminist theory aims to change “masculinity” in the areas and to the extent that it functions as an ideology justifying male domination and the marginalization of women. The book dissects and examines the entire social protection system and reveals the role of the state as a bearer of patriarchy, as well as the way social reality and human relationships are shaped. The coupling of theory with experience and mathematics achieves three main goals:

1/ highlights the formation of the state and social policy, based on gender, which is either ignored or overlooked by social and political science, in theory and in practice. “Social policy is often considered to be gender-neutral and it is not fully acknowledged that every phase of its development is directly linked to and influenced by the dominant perceptions…..”

2/ it explores the ways in which the gender of social policy is expressed in specific areas, such as the content of legislation, funding sources, the type of measures, and the nature of the involved stakeholders. It also examines the process of designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating laws and how through this process, gender norms and hierarchies are constructed and reproduced (the Greek version of “one is not born a woman, one becomes one” by Beauvoir).

3/ It reveals the direct and indirect effects that social policy measures and legislative regulations adopted in Greece had on women and gender equality, such as, for example, the 15-year period, which was a “scandalous incentive for married women and mothers to abandon paid employment and an extreme form of the incorporation of patriarchal ideology into the Greek social security system.”

The government’s new social security bill provokes various reactions and disrupts life plans. It remains a fact that the undervaluation of women’s work and the Balkan patriarchal structures have contributed to the inferior position of women in the social system and the increasing feminization of poverty. Certainly, women are entitled to a social security system that strengthens their position in paid work, contributes to their economic independence and self-determination, closes the wage and income gap, takes care of the well-being of children and their education through quality care and educational programs, creates infrastructure for the elderly and people with disabilities, balances professional and family/personal life, leads to a fair distribution of all obligations in the private and public spheres between men and women, and above all, to a more balanced and happy life. It is certain that we need a modern system of social protection, compatible with the realities of the ^21st century, that will enhance the sense of security and contribute to the reconciliation of generations and genders.

Anna Karamanou ,

The president of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament