Auriani

Equal Treatment interview of Anna KARAMANOU by Panagiotis Mavrikos 26. 05. 2002

Greece holds the world record for the lowest participation of women in local government. “Women should be elected to municipal and regional councils because they are more sensitive to social policy issues,” says MEP Anna Karamanou, who also holds the title of President of the European Committee for Women’s Equality.
“K.A.” attended the special session of the European Committee and spoke with Ms. Karamanou, who provided impressive statistics about women at home, at work, and in decision-making centers.

• What are the main topics of discussion taking place in Brussels regarding women today?

There was a significant meeting in Brussels of the Committee on Women’s Issues and Equal Opportunities regarding our committee’s proposals and ideas for the role of women in the Constitutional Assembly. Of course, we expressed our deep disappointment at the fact that a very small number of women are participating in the Regular Assembly that will discuss the reforms that need to take place in light of the upcoming enlargement.

Let me emphasize that only 15 women are participating out of a total of 105. We believe that women are a very dynamic factor that can make a significant contribution to building a prosperous and democratic Europe.

• Are issues of violence against women in Europe gaining prominence?

There is a very serious problem with violence against women. The Spanish presidency has already highlighted this as a priority issue.

We are addressing issues related to domestic violence, sexual violence, and violence in the workplace. There needs to be a way to combat it in a meaningful and effective manner.

We want, through the reform of the treaties, to establish a legal basis that will enshrine gender equality and equal treatment of men and women in all areas and at all levels. That is, in the labor market and regarding decision-making centers. There should be a balanced participation of men and women in democratic institutions and decision-making centers. Additionally, the Treaty should provide the legal foundation to ensure that gender equality is achieved in practice.

• Why are the participation rates of women in decision-making centers low?

Women are a factor of renewal in the political process. It is a fact that women are more peace-oriented than men and less violent. They emphasize issues of social policy, gender equality, justice, etc., and can be a very positive influence in decision-making.

Women in positions of power

• We will likely see low participation or election rates in the upcoming local government elections as well?

In Greece, the percentage of women participating in Regional and Municipal Councils is among the lowest in the world. The rate is around 7% across the country. As you know, there are only 15 women mayors out of a total exceeding one thousand. Among regional governors, there are only two women.

There is a need for a more effective intervention in Greece. However, we must emphasize that the measure introduced by Vasso Papandreou for mandatory female participation in ballots at one third is positive. This, of course, does not guarantee the election of women to positions, but our experience shows that the more women who run for office, the more will be elected.

The perception that only men belong in positions of power must begin to change. I see with sadness that around 90% of the nominations for mayors from the parties are men.