Support for the candidacy of Giorgos Kaminis.
Network for Women’s Rights.
POLIS ART CAFÉ, 07.11.2017
Support for the candidacy of Giorgos Kaminis.
Dear ladies,
On behalf of the Network for Women’s Rights, I welcome you to our meeting today and thank you very much for responding to our invitation. It is a great joy and honor for me to address the Mayor of Athens, the doctor of the University of Sorbonne, the professor of Law at the University of Athens, the former successful Ombudsman, and now a candidate for the leadership of the new political party, the major Democratic Movement of the center political spectrum.
I warmly thank you, Mr. Mayor, for accepting our invitation and we welcome you with joy and best wishes to win yet another challenging political battle this Sunday. As Yiannis Boutaris aptly wrote, “Your candidacy is the most important reason for us to get up from our couches and go vote on Sunday.”
It is a fact that your candidacy, from the very beginning, has lent credibility to the effort of renewal and unification of the fragmented political space between ND and SYRIZA, which was once covered by the dominant PASOK. Today, you can call it center-left, progressive center, social democracy, or democratic front. We will find the right name.
It is important that we talk about the middle path, the balance between the two extremes, the moderation that Aristotle praises in the Nicomachean Ethics. We must push the two extremes, ND and SYRIZA, back to where they belong and regain the 50% of the Greek people we once had and lost. Under your leadership, this is achievable!
This Sunday, we have the historic opportunity to contribute with our choice to the renewal and reconstruction of this space of reason, democracy, and creation, which has made the greatest contributions to the modern history, development, and modernization of our country.
In this effort, the contribution of women is invaluable. History has shown that none of the contemporary challenges can be addressed, and no type of development can be sustainable, without the equal, equivalent, and meritocratic participation of half the population in economic and political decision-making. Without the contribution of the ideas, sensitivity, imagination, and capabilities of women.
Today, female students make up 60% of the student body in universities, and women excel in all systems that operate based on merit. We know, Mr. Mayor, how much you encouraged the participation of women in your electoral list and how you made use of the women who were elected to the City Council. We recognize that you distributed the positions of vice-mayors and all municipal offices equally and fairly between men and women. The statistics from the municipality, published by Lilian Gazi, show that you truly believe in and practice, not just talk about, gender equality.
It is a fact that the position of women has improved significantly over the past 40 years, thanks to the struggles of the feminist movement and the support of European policies. The contribution of PASOK in strengthening women’s rights is undeniable. In the 1980s, gender equality was legally established, and the most progressive family law in Europe was enacted.
However, legislation alone is not a sufficient condition to change daily life. The gap between laws and practice remains, and it is exacerbated by the conditions of the crisis that have plagued Greece. Female employment has decreased by more than 25% in recent years, the welfare state is shrinking, placing new burdens on women, and the reconciliation of professional, personal, and family life remains a distant goal. At the same time, fundamental gains made by women in defining their own bodies are now subject to revisions and re-examinations.
Today, Greece, based on equality indicators, ranks last among the 28 EU countries according to the European Institute for Gender Equality, while in the global ranking, according to the World Economic Forum, it holds the 92nd position—far worse than many of our neighboring Balkan countries: Albania is 62nd, FYROM 73rd, Bulgaria 41st, Serbia 48th, and Slovenia 8th. The only country ranked worse than Greece is Turkey, in 130th place. In 2013,Greece held the 81st position, and in 2010, it was 58th. The situation is getting worse each year.
The female population of the country is becoming impoverished and continues to be underrepresented in decision-making centers. At the same time, sexism in Greek society and gender-based violence, both inside and outside the family, remain ever-present issues. Among the poor, refugee women with their children are undoubtedly the most vulnerable group, and they are often the victims of exploitation and human trafficking. We know how much sensitivity and humanity you have shown as mayor and how impressive and significant social work you have accomplished in this regard (related brochure).
On the occasion of our meeting, we would like you to know what the priorities of women are, with the expectation that you, as the new leader of the great progressive movement, will promote them.
- Ratification of the Istanbul Convention of 2011, which is the most comprehensive international treaty for combating violence against women, ratified by many countries, but not by Greece, despite the pre-election commitments of SYRIZA.
- Revision of the 2006 domestic violence law to truly support women victims.
- Reconciliation of professional and family life by implementing relevant European policies aimed at fair distribution of responsibilities and obligations between the public and private spheres.
- Support for female entrepreneurship and ensuring women’s right to work based on equal opportunities.
- Reintroduction and reevaluation of widow’s pensions.
- Strengthening the security and social inclusion of refugee women.
- Ensuring balanced gender participation (50/50) in crisis management, future planning, and all democratic institutions, political and economic decision-making centers.
- Systematic and planned intervention in culture and cultural constraints, through the educational system, humanitarian education, new digital technology, and the media.
Mr. Mayor, once again, we wish you strength and a great victory. Women are with you because we appreciate your character, your deep education, your reliability, consistency, your belief in meritocracy and equal opportunities, and the sense of responsibility and duty that has distinguished you in all the public offices you have served! You deserve a great victory, one that will restore hope and vision for a better life in a Greece worth living in.
Anna Karamanou
Former MEP