A cry of protest against gender-based violence.

Europe and Women’s Rights” by Anna Karamanu

The book by former MEP Anna Karamanu, *”Europe and Women’s Rights”*, seems more relevant than ever. It examines and compares—in theory and in practice—the impact of the European system on the construction of the nation-state and the struggle for women’s rights in two countries (Greece and Turkey) that did not participate in the Renaissance and the European Enlightenment, through a historical journey from the 19th century to the present.

And it is relevant not only because we celebrated (in any way) on November 25th the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women,” but also because the issues that are emerging today are related to women victims of domestic violence by their husbands, a topic that holds a central place in Anna Karamanu’s book.

According to recent reports, “… Victims of domestic violence by their husbands account for 8 out of 10 women who reached out to the SOS 15900 Helpline of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality. According to data released ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25/11), from November 19, 2016, to November 19, 2017, the 24-hour helpline received 5,041 calls and 113 emails. Of all the calls, 4,266 (85%) were related to reports of gender-based violence. Of these, 3,034 calls (71%) were reports made by the abused women themselves, while 1,232 calls (29%) were reports made by third parties, mainly friends, parents, other relatives, and neighbors…”

As aptly noted by Maria Stratigaki, Associate Professor of Social Policy at Panteion University: “If this book is translated and published in Turkish, it will significantly contribute to the corresponding academic discussion taking place in Turkey. This book is valuable for another reason, perhaps the most important one. It is a book that combines vivid writing with scientific knowledge and political analysis. However, it is not a book that is simply easy and pleasant to read; it is a book based on primary research, producing scientific knowledge, and raising significant questions for further investigation. It is a book that, for those who read it, becomes a tool for social change, a tool for overturning patriarchy, a tool for building international relations beyond national stereotypes….”

The reader, page by page of the book, becomes a participant in observations and questions, with the central focus being the woman, who experiences different or similar situations in both Greece and Turkey, trying to shake off patriarchy and to feel in practice, not just in theory, that she is an equal member of society, with the same duties but also the same rights as men. In many cases, the man becomes a tyrant and a tormentor, protected even by legal provisions that shield him.

Anna Karamanou, known for her fierce advocacy for gender equality in the European Parliament, does not wait for the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.” She continues to fight this battle daily through the pages of her book.

Reading Anna Karamanou’s book, in which she expresses her deep love for Syros (which is why she owns a house in Chroussa), one can confidently echo the saying of Solon, “I grow old learning always,” as the book is a highly engaging thesis that indeed transforms into a fascinating historical journey.