Women and Power

It is a fact that the recognition of women’s human and political rights, their mass participation in education and economic activities, the changes in the roles of both genders, and the structure of the family represent the most significant social change that occurred in the 20th century.

The participation of women in the workforce is continuously increasing, even during periods of economic recession. Undoubtedly, many achievements have been made that allow us to look toward the future with optimism, but the road is still long. Changes in the status and role of women in society have not been accompanied by corresponding representation in democratic institutions and political decision-making centers. Political and economic power is almost monopolized by one gender.

On a global scale, there is indeed a trend of decreasing numbers of women in positions of responsibility. Women remain poorer and have less power than men.

In Greece, the participation of women in politics remains at extremely low levels and is inconsistent with the progress made in education (55% of university students are women), professional employment, and legislation. The current political reality reveals a significant democratic deficit, as the majority of the electorate is underrepresented in policy-making and decision-making centers, ranking Greece last among the 15 countries in the European Union (6% in Parliament, 4% in municipal councils, 2% in prefectural councils, and 4% in the leadership of the GSEE). Greece in 2000 remains a patriarchal and male-dominated country.

Unfortunately, both women and men remain largely captive to undemocratic beliefs and outdated social stereotypes regarding gender roles and political function. At the same time, the patriarchal structures of political parties, the electoral system—which requires significant financial resources and specific electoral qualifications that are often unappealing to women—intense and often unfair competition, the unequal division of family responsibilities between the two genders, and a number of other factors indirectly hinder the overcoming of the historical exclusion of women from public life.

The Aristotelian theory of the two spheres—the public sphere belonging to men and the private sphere to women—has profoundly influenced philosophical thought, political science, and analyses of traditional issues and values such as freedom, equality, and justice throughout the centuries.

It is certain that the absence of women from the formulation and decision-making processes contributes to the perpetuation of gender discrimination, the marginalization of pressing social issues, economic underperformance, and the inadequate functioning of democratic institutions. The ongoing discrimination and inequalities against women, high unemployment rates, incidents of violence, and the portrayal of distorted role models by the media constitute a web of problems that is dialectically connected to the insufficient participation of women in decision-making centers and the lack of political power.

Unfortunately, the laws that provide for equal rights for women have proven to be insufficient, as the rules of the political game and power dynamics are shaped and influenced by those in power. Therefore, the participation of women in the centers of political formulation and exercise requires deep qualitative changes, both in content and in the manner of conducting politics. These changes, in turn, necessitate the removal of all factors that hinder the mass entry of women into politics.

The new Amsterdam Treaty makes significant references to gender equality and the improvement of women’s status in the workforce. However, despite these references, the Treaty fails to provide a systematic mention of women’s position in politics. The Council’s Recommendation of 02/12/1996, concerning the balanced participation of women and men in decision-making centers, urged member states to seriously consider the low participation of women in all areas of public life and to adopt strategies that would constructively address the imbalance between the representation of men and women.

Unfortunately, so far, Greece has not responded positively to this Recommendation. No positive action or measures (such as quotas, etc.) have been taken to ensure at least a decent representation of women in democratic institutions and political decision-making centers.

However, today, more than ever, there is an urgent need to develop a strategy and take action to enhance the participation of women in representative institutions. The role of women and the value of their participation have been recognized and included in all declarations and action programs established at the major UN World Conferences on Women, from the first in Mexico in 1975 to the fourth in Beijing in 1995.

At the European level, there have been several developments, and some member states have introduced legislative measures aimed at promoting women. In the European Parliament, the number of female MPs has increased (by 28%), and five of the twenty members of the European Commission are women. At the national level, significant progress has been made by Scandinavian countries, particularly Sweden, as well as the Netherlands, Germany, Spain—where the number of women holding parliamentary seats tripled in the 1997 elections—and France, where the percentage of women in Parliament doubled in the May 1997 elections. As is well known, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin has proposed, through constitutional reform, to facilitate and ensure women’s access to centers of power.

It is clear that a new consciousness and political will are developing on a global scale, aiming to broaden the scope so that gender equality encompasses all relationships—social, economic, and political—and penetrates and influences all specific policies (mainstreaming). Today, the emphasis is on the need to translate laws into action. This means moving from formal and official equality to substantive and functional equality, ensuring a fair distribution of responsibilities and obligations between the two genders.

The 20th century began with the demand for women’s voting rights and ends with the struggle for equal participation of women and men in democratic institutions and political decision-making centers.

The participation of women in politics and in all centers of policy-making and decision-making has become an urgent necessity, according to analyses from the European Network “Women in Decision-Making Centers,” for the following specific reasons:

• ¨ ENHANCEMENT OF DEMOCRACY:
• Democracy is based on the participation of all citizens in the processes of decision-making and shaping policies. Women constitute 51% of the population, work and are educated just like men, and are entitled to equivalent political representation.
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• ¨ APPLICATION IN PRACTICE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF GENDER EQUALITY AS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT:
• This right should translate into a fair distribution of responsibilities in both the private and public spheres, the abolition of the division of labor by gender, and the overcoming of the historical exclusion of women from political life.
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• ¨ ENRICHMENT OF POLITICS WITH DIVERSE EXPERIENCES, INTERESTS, AND VALUE SYSTEMS:
• The historical exclusion of women from public life resulted in women acquiring different experiences, interests, and value systems.
• In a democratic society, political decisions should reflect the interests and concerns of all citizens.
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• ¨ UTILIZATION OF VALUABLE HUMAN RESOURCES:
• Women represent half of the global pool of human resources, skills, and talents. The poor presence of women in political decision-making centers results in poverty and deprivation for the country due to the underutilization of available human resources.
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• ¨ RENEWAL OF POLITICS AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES – NEW POLITICAL CULTURE

Women, primarily for cultural reasons, carry different ideas, values, and behaviors that align more closely with the social realities and political climate of the late 20th century. Less individualistic than men, they place great importance on the needs and opinions of others. Moreover, due to their daily experiences, they are particularly adept at balancing and integrating multiple and diverse responsibilities, both in family life and in their professional roles. The lives of women in politics are rarely confined to politics alone; instead, they extend into many other areas. Therefore, significant participation of women can lead to a new political culture and a better society for everyone.

I believe that for all these reasons, balanced participation of men and women in politics is a fundamental prerequisite for the progress of any democratic society. Only when women are adequately represented in the centers of political decision-making will their issues find satisfactory solutions. Violence, sexual abuse, the increasing unemployment among women, unequal pay between men and women in the workplace, unequal opportunities for career advancement, and the inhumane expectation for women to juggle all the different roles assigned to them today are problems directly connected to the fact that women lack the necessary economic and political power.

The issue of gender equality is not just a matter of justice between men and women. It is a fundamental human right, a basic principle of democracy, and a lever for the social progress of any country. At this point, I would like to emphasize the developmental aspect of gender equality. Since we define development, among other things, as investments in human capital to build a better future, it is certain that this development cannot be achieved if half of the population remains marginalized.

Therefore, it is essential to enhance the participation of women in representative institutions and in development planning, so that their potential can be maximally utilized. The infrastructure in the fields of health, education, and social welfare, the care and support of socially excluded individuals, the protection of the human and natural environment, as well as other issues concerning the improvement of quality of life, are key parameters of a country’s sustainable development. These issues can be promoted more effectively if a critical mass of women actively participates in the planning and decision-making processes.

Certainly, Greece cannot remain outside of these new processes. Especially since we still hold the negative lead in Europe, only slightly better than the countries of the Middle East.

Today, dear friends, you are here, we are here, to decide how we will utilize the rights and political power we possess in order to change our destiny, to change the shape and content of politics.

The upcoming municipal and regional elections represent a great opportunity that must not be missed. We have a duty to take political action, to take matters into our own hands, to change the 4% in municipal councils and the 2% in regional councils, which insult and demean us as women, as well as as a member country of the European Union.

Today, when women make up 40% of the country’s workforce and 55% of university students, their inadequate participation in elected bodies of Local Government raises, if not issues of the legality of these bodies—since there are still no relevant laws like in other countries—certainly issues of their democratic legitimacy.

This year’s local elections should be remembered as a significant milestone and starting point, not only because of the revolutionary changes in the country’s administrative structure, the restructuring of the new municipalities, and the strengthening of their responsibilities, but also because women will claim for themselves the right to be elected—the right to contribute their wealth of ideas, imagination, sensitivity, visions, experience, and unique ability to solve everyday problems and improve the quality of life. The messages from across Greece indicate that, despite the fierce competition for elected positions, women will fight their own battle with faith, dignity, and solidarity. The “Kapodistrias” program urgently needs the fertile feminine perspective that tragically is absent today from the management of local affairs; it needs a “critical mass” of women who will bring life and vitality to the new decentralized and self-governing institutions.

None of the contemporary challenges can be effectively addressed without the participation, contribution of ideas, and meaningful representation of women. The insufficient participation or absence of women from the elected bodies of local government means loss and poverty for our country; it signifies delays and underdevelopment of both the economy and democracy. Therefore, this issue takes on a national dimension and significance.

Today, Greece, in the final stretch towards equal participation in the strong Europe of the single currency, needs the mobilization of all of us to turn our visions into reality and hope into life.

Women can take the lead in this great national effort.