Anna Karamanou: Women should boost their self-esteem.
The former MEP Anna Karamanou emphasizes the need for women today in our country “to boost their confidence and self-esteem and to dynamically claim what the harsh patriarchy of Greece denies them, namely participation in decision-making.” This is set as a primary goal in her book.
The book “The Peaceful Uprising of Female Sapiens. 1821 – 2021” was presented yesterday afternoon at the Cultural Center of Chania.
The book begins with the role of women in the 1821 revolution, tracing the journey of their rights since then and their connection to the major historical events of each era. “The role of women in the revolution has been overlooked by historians! Many women fought and sacrificed everything for liberation from the Ottoman Empire, and when the Greek state was established in 1830 with the London Protocol, these women were excluded from power and had no rights to education or employment,” the author stated while speaking to reporters.
Regarding the current situation of women, Ms. Karamanou referred to the very negative decision about abortions in the U.S. and pointed out that while things have improved significantly in our country, inequality remains. “The power gap between men and women persists, placing Greece last in the equality indicators within the EU. We have very few women in decision-making positions for the country and its future. We do not present the image of a European country with a parliament composed of 240 men and 60 women, nor in local government where there are only 19 women among 332 mayors. Even in trade union bodies, among the 45 members of the GSEE administration, there are only 2 women, and this situation is mirrored in ADEDY and OLME and in all councils! This is a significant problem for Greece; there is a very strong patriarchy that claims all power and does not want to share it.”
Beyond the struggles of women, Ms. Karamanou also highlighted political figures such as Ioannis Kapodistrias, King Otto, Charilaos Trikoupis, and Eleftherios Venizelos. She emphasized that “all you Cretans should be proud because he was the most distinguished Greek politician and, as foreign academics have written, the most significant Greek politician after Pericles, who had the vision of Greater Greece. However, this great leader was undermined, and perhaps we should re-examine the period of national division and the pro-German King Constantine to understand what is happening today with Turkey’s claims.”
“If the vision of Venizelos had been fulfilled and we had Smyrna and its surroundings as decided by the Treaty of Sèvres, today we would not face these demands and the grandiose aspirations of Turkey; the situation would be more balanced.” Referring to the journey of Anna Karamanou, Deputy Regional Governor Mr. Nikos Kalogeris spoke about “a woman with a significant contribution to gender equality and women’s empowerment. These struggles never end, as just when we think we have achieved something, there is suddenly a setback, as we have seen in America with the ‘tentacles of Trumpism’ affecting the situation.”
The book was discussed by philologists Roula Vouraki and Athanasia Zoti, while excerpts were read by actress and author Mrs. Marinela Vlachaki, and greetings were offered by Mrs. Amalia Basia, President of the Women’s Union of Greece / Chania Branch and President of the Association for People with Disabilities in Chania.