ETHNOS, Discrimination against women

Discrimination against women
Column “The 3rd Opinion”	13. 05. 2003

I regret to note that discrimination against women persists, and new, indirect ways are being used to exclude them from the Police Force. Specifically, the equalization of the height requirement for both sexes, set at 1.70 meters, constitutes an obvious discrimination against women, as very few Greek women exceed this height. At the same time, for admission to the schools of other Security Forces and the Army, the height requirement for men is set at 1.65 meters and for women at 1.55 meters.

Similarly, the establishment of common performance standards in sports can only be detrimental to women. In any athletic trial, according to international and Greek practices, the biological differences of women are taken into account. It will be extremely difficult for women to outperform their male competitors, which will condemn them to unjust exclusion. The absurdity of the tests in the events has reached the point where the weight of the shot put is set at 7.275 kg, whereas according to the IAAF regulations, the weight of the shot put is 4 kg.

The semblance of equal treatment provided by the establishment of common requirements cannot conceal the discrimination that arises from the disregard for the biological differences of women. Women and men are equal, but they are not the same.

It is obvious that the disregard for these differences essentially constitutes discrimination against women.

Anna Karamanou

PASOK MEP