Even As Progressives Take Lead In Greece, Women Remain Out Of Power
Anastasia Giamali is a young, well-educated and ambitious woman. She's a regional politician for Syriza, the leftist party now running Greece, and a high-profile journalist with the party-affiliated newspaper.
But last month, when Amparo Rubiales, the Spanish feminist criticized Syriza for appointing only men to the new cabinet, Giamali said it reflected how Greece still clings to its traditional, patriarchal roots.
"It's still a male-dominated society," Giamali says. "It's hard for a woman to be involved in high-end politics, because a woman must be a mother, must be working, must take care of the whole family more than a man would in Greece.
Few in Greece commented on the lack of women in the senior cabinet. Greece ranks near the bottom in the European Union in the number of women participating in politics, and never has had a female prime minister. Men still dominate parliament.
A group of young women at an Athenian cafe say they joined Syriza because, compared to the other parties, it has more women in its ranks and more elected women in parliament. Still, says Lina Theodorou, a 25-year-old lawyer, most party leaders are men.
"Men are accepted with all of their flaws, but women are not," she says. "Women are often categorized as being too shy or too loud or whatever for some big post. It's a problem in Greece, and it's a problem in our party."
The idea that Greek men are born leaders is even taught in school, says Natasa Spanoudi, a 25-year-old teacher.
"In history books about the Greek revolution, for instance, we're taught that the men with the big mustaches and giant muscles are the ones that saved us," she says. "Not the women, who fought too and just as bravely."
Another teacher, Evi Papathanassiou, notes that even though most teachers in Greece are women, even their unions are led by men.
Louka Katseli, an economics professor, is one of the rare women who have been selected for a top Greek post; she served in two government cabinets. She'd like to see more women given that opportunity.
"Women have a different way of dealing with people and issues — we listen, we are not so power hungry," she says. "These qualities, especially when you have a crisis, are quite helpful."
Katseli says women have made inroads in the nation's politics through the years — especially in the 300-member parliament.
"We have 69 women in parliament right now — which is not as high as I would like it to be. It's certainly not 50-50, but it's the best record that we have for many, many years," she says.
And though the senior cabinet has no women, both Katsell and Giamali point out that there are six women in key deputy positions, the former labor and economic minister says, including in the finance and labor ministries.
And Giamali notes a milestone for women earlier this month: The election of human rights lawyer and Syriza lawmaker Zoe Konstantopoulou as speaker of the parliament. She's only the second woman in Greek history to hold that powerful and influential post.
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Transcript
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
The new leftist government of Greece says it wants to revolutionize a country that has long resisted change. Even so, feminists there say the government is failing to change a long-standing problem, the lack of women at the highest levels of government. Joanna Kakissis has this report from Athens.
JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE: Anastasia Giamali is a young, well-educated and ambitious woman. She's a regional politician for Syriza, the leftist party now running Greece, and a high-profile journalist with the party-affiliated newspaper. But when a Spanish feminist criticized the government for appointing only men to the cabinet, Giamali says it exposed a long-time problem in Greece.
ANASTASIA GIAMALI: It's still a male-dominated society. It's hard for a woman to be involved in high-end politics because a woman must be a mother, must be working, must take care of the whole family more than a man would in Greece.
KAKISSIS: It seemed like no one in Greece commented on the male-dominated cabinet, but maybe that's because Greece ranks near the bottom in the European Union in the number of women participating in politics. Greece has never had a female prime minister, and men still dominate parliament.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Speaking Greek).
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: (Speaking Greek).
KAKISSIS: At a cafe in a bohemian neighborhood in central Athens, six young women say they joined Syriza because it had more women in its ranks than other parties. They're happy to point out that most women elected to parliament are from Syriza, yet most party leaders are men, says Lina Theodorou, a 25-year-old lawyer.
LINA THEODOROU: (Through interpreter) Men are accepted with all their flaws, but women are not. Women are often categorized as being too shy or too loud or whatever for some big post. It's a problem in Greece, and it's a problem in our party.
KAKISSIS: The idea that Greek men are the born leaders is even taught in school, says Natasa Spanoudi, a 25-year-old teacher.
NATASA SPANOUDI: (Through interpreter) In history books about the Greek Revolution, for instance, we're taught that the men with the big mustaches and giant muscles are the ones that saved us, not the women who fought too and just as bravely.
KAKISSIS: Men even lead female-dominated professions such as education, says Evi Papathanassiou, who's also a teacher.
EVI PAPATHANASSIOU: (Through interpreter) It's understood that a woman becomes a teacher because she's maternal. She can work and still keep up the house. So most teachers in Greece are women, and yet our teaching unions are led by men.
KAKISSIS: But Louka Katseli, an economics professor who has served on two government cabinets, says women have made inroads over the years, especially in the 300-member parliament.
LOUKA KATSELI: We have 69 women in parliament right now, which is - it's not as high as I would like it to be. It's certainly not 50-50, but it's the best record that we have for many, many years.
KAKISSIS: And though the senior cabinet has no women, there are six women in key deputy positions, such as finance and labor, Katseli says.
KATSELI: Women have a different way, I think, of dealing with people and issues. We listen. We are not so power-hungry. So these are qualities which, especially when you have a crisis, are quite helpful.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: (Speaking Greek).
KAKISSIS: There was a milestone for Greek women in politics earlier this month. Human rights attorney and Syriza lawmaker Zoe Konstantopoulou was elected as speaker of the parliament. She's only the second woman in Greek history to hold that powerful and influential post. For NPR News, I'm Joanna Kakissis in Athens. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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