CONTACT PERSON

Aspasia Tsaoussis-Hatzis (Ph.D)

Visiting Assistant Professor of Negotiation and Economics

Athens Laboratory of Business Administration.

Email: atsaoussi(AT)abanet.org

This first report would be most fittingly described as a brief profile of my home country in terms of recent positive developments in women’s legal and socio-economic status. I am currently drafting a questionnaire that I plan to give out to women who teach in Economics departments and institutions across the country. My aim is threefold: one is to collect information as to their academic background, current and past positions, and more generally as to their academic standing. The second is to allow them to record any dissatisfaction they may feel in their academic environment, especially if such dissatisfaction is attributable to overt or covert discrimination. The third is to invite the creative criticism of these economists, hoping to implicate them in an inquiry surrounding the future of feminist economics in Greece.

ECONOMICS DEPARTMENTS, INSTITUTES AND RESEARCH CENTERS

Economics Associations and Societies

· Greek Association of Law and Economics - GALE

Agricultural University of Athens, Athens

· Department of Agricultural Economics

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki

· Department of Agricultural Economics

· Department of Economics

· Laboratory of Forest Economics

Athens Laboratory of Business Administration (ALBA), Athens

Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), Athens

· Athens Institute of Economic Policy Studies (IMO)

· Department of Economics

· Department of International and European Economic Studies

· Network Economics and Services Laboratory

Centre of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE), Athens

Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini

· Department of International Economic Relations and Development

Employment Observatory Research-Informatics (PAEP), Athens

Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE), Athens

Government of Greece, Athens

· Bank of Greece

· Ministry of Development

· Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs

· National Statistical Service of Greece

Institute of International Economic Relations, Athens

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens

· Department of Economics

Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Athens

· Department of Economic and Regional Development

Technological Education Institute of Larissa, Larissa

· School of Business and Economics

University of Crete, Rethymnon

· Department of Economics

University of Ioannina, Ioannina

· Department of Economics

University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki

· Department of Accounting and Finance

· Department of Economics

· Department of International and European Economical and Political Studies (DEOPS)

University of Patra, Patra

· Department of Economics

University of Piraeus, Piraeus

· Department of Economics

University of Peloponnese, Tripolis

· Department of Economics

University of the Aegean, Chios

· School of Business and Management

University of Thessaly

· Department of Economics

· Department of Planning and Regional Development

WOMEN ECONOMISTS IN GREECE

The number of women economists teaching or conducting research in the academic institutions mentioned above is in the process of being calculated, as several of these institutions have homepages that are still under construction. However, a rough estimate can be provided: in most Economics departments listed above, women professors represent one fourth of the faculty. There are three departments without a single woman member of the teaching staff. But there are also several departments where women make up roughly one third of the faculty. Also, there was only one woman as Head of her department (Department of Accounting and Finance of the University of Macedonia).

COURSES FEMINIST ECONOMICS IN MAINSTREAM ECONOMICS DEPARTMENTS

There are no courses in Feminist Economics in any of the mainstream Economics Departments in public universities, private colleges or institutes of higher learning. However, collecting the answers from our questionnaire will be certain to provide a clearer picture of the situation, revealing for example that a particular course incorporates some principles of feminist economics.

FEMINIST, WOMEN'S AND/OR GENDER RESEARCH INSTITUTES

Government Agencies

The General Secretariat for Equality of the Ministry of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization has played a pivotal role in promoting gender equality in Greece. You can visit its website at www.isotita.gr/english/mixanismos_en.htm. It is the government agency that is responsible for promoting and implementing legal and substantial gender equality in political, economic, social and cultural life. For the different departments of the agency and their operation, please visit www.isotita.gr/english/organ2.htm. Since its inception, a woman has always been appointed as Secretary General of Gender Equality.

In recent years, the Secretariat has steered its efforts towards addressing the emerging social problem of domestic violence. More particularly, it was the first government organization to create and operate Counseling Centers for Violence against Women. The Centers offer free psychological support and legal counseling to women. The Athens Center has been operating since 1988, while the Piraeus Center was established in 1999. Also, since 1993 and in collaboration with the Athens Municipality, a guest house for abused women has been operating.

RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS

The Research Centre for Gender Equality (KETHI) operates under the supervision of the General Secretariat for Equality (by virtue of Law 2266/94) for the support, the specialization and the scientific documentation of equality policies of the General Secretariat for Equality (please visit www.kethi.gr for more details). Its primary aim is to sponsor and coordinate scientific research on a broad array of women’s issues, spanning the range from participation in decision-making processes (in alignment with EU mainstreaming policies) to education, health and domestic violence. More particularly, KETHI assigned review and research studies in nine (9) topic areas of political importance concerning gender equality: social policy, employment, social exclusion, education, politics, tools for gender equality, trafficking in women, prostitution, and sexual exploitation, the mass media, and the workplace. Since 1994 a series of studies has been completed that focus more specifically on issues of women's employment. For its list of publications, please visit www.kethi.gr/english/ekdoseis/index.htm

KETHI also operates guidance and counseling programs for women, and has launched a number of successful information campaigns, most recently one on domestic violence. It also runs a documentation unit, containing a complete information system for women's employment and vocational training. It has also set up an information unit, which offers information and counseling on issues of employment and social integration. KETHI has five branches in the cities of Athens, Thessaloniki, Patra, Heraklion and Volos.

NON-GOVERNMENTAL WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS

There are over 50 non-governmental several women’s groups in Greece that actively promote women’s issues and also undertake much of the lobbying that precedes any related legislative efforts. The oldest and best-known organization is the Greek League for Women’s Rights that has played an active role in promoting feminist issues in Greece. The League has been publishing a bilingual journal entitled Woman’s Struggle (O Agonas tis Gynaekas) since 1923.

Members of the Greek League for Women’s Rights regularly represent the country in European and international organizations, such as the European Women’s Lobby, the Association of Women of Southern Europe (AFEM) and the International Alliance of Women. They draft proposals, resolutions and recommendations which they submit for consideration to both domestic and international legislative bodies, and have in the past proven to be strong lobbyists for issues of feminist concern. I believe that this is in large part due to the influential figure of the League’s past President, Dr. Alice Yotopoulos-Marangopoulos, among the most prolific legal theorists in Greece and an activist-intellectual. Under her presidency, women’s issues were framed as human rights issues –and many victories for women on the legislative front ensued.

A recent initiative undertaken by the League was the following: prior to the national elections of March 7, 2004, it addressed a letter to all the Greek party leaders with a number of questions that mainly focused on three issues particularly affecting women: representation of women in politics, women’s employment and violence against women. All parties represented in Parliament answered the questions. As regards women’s employment, the three major parties declared their commitment to raising Greek women’s employment percentage from the present 43% to 60% by 2010 (the EU target set in Lisbon in 2000).

Other national women’s organizations are as follows (in random order):

· Panhellenic Women’s Movement

· Political Union of Women

· Greek Women’s Association

· League of Women Scholars

· Federation of Women of Greece

· Association of Greek Women in Legal Professions

· European Forum of Leftwing Feminists –the Greek Chapter

· Association of Greek Homemakers

· Progressive Women’s Organization

· Democratic Women’s Movement

· League of Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals of Athens

· European Network of Greek Women Journalists

Of course, there is also a significant number of local women’s groups.

OVERVIEW OF FEMINIST ECONOMICS COURSES GIVEN

A New Academic Program on Gender and Equality

In 2003, an ambitious new academic program was launched by the University of Athens. The Interdepartmental Program on Undergraduate Studies on Matters of Gender and Equality (http://www.isotita.uoa.gr/home/index.html) is the first effort in the context of the horizontal action of the University of Athens to support specialized studies in gender identity and the interdisciplinary approach of gender issues.

The Program is wide-ranging, encompassing different methodological and theoretical approaches. Its aim is to impart knowledge on feminist theories and promote the critical view of scientific knowledge under the lens of gender. Its long-term goal is to sensitize and educate the Greek academic community in matters of discrimination and persisting gender inequalities. In the context of the Program, eleven (11) University Departments have offered (in the 2003-2004 academic year) 35 courses on gender. The broad thematic categories of these courses are the following:

· Biological and Social Factors in Gender Determination

· Social Policy, the Law and Social Equality

· Theology, Religion and Gender

· Science, Social Practices and Gender

· Gender, Language and the Mass Media

· Art, Culture and Gender

· Gender, Nation and Education

For the past academic year, I have collaborated with the Program in a dual capacity: first, I taught the course “Sociology of Gender Relations”, which was offered as an elective course at the Department of Philosophy & History of Science in the Spring semester of 2004; second, I am a research associate of the newly founded Committee on Gender Discrimination, which aims at tracking and documenting instances of gender-based discrimination in higher education. More details on the function of this committee will follow in an upcoming report, since the assignment of duties has not yet been completed and the list of collaborators has not been finalized. However, a few words on its goals can be offered here. Its short-term goals will be: (a) to collect information from all University departments that are linked to the program, and (b) to organize conferences and events that will provide opportunities for exchanging information and experiences with similar programs operating in other European countries. Its long term goal is related to consciousness-raising and it involves educating and informing women in academia (professors, students or members of the administrative staff) about any gender-related problems. Special emphasis will be given to matters of promotion and equal pay, as well as to sexual harassment.

MISCELLANEOUS

Recent Legal Developments

On April 18, 2001, the Constitution of the Hellenic Republic was revised. The most important amendment in terms of substantial equality is the provision of article 116 par. 2 which reads as follows:

The Greek Constitution has since 1975 guaranteed equality between the sexes. Article 4 § 2 of the Greek Constitution of 1975 stipulates that “Greek men and Greek women have the same legal rights and the same legal duties”. Gender equality as a constitutional right is primarily negative, since it protects individuals from action by the state – in other words, from government interference with the private exercise of their rights to equality.

Recent events of importance

In the National elections of March 2004, there was an increase in the number of women elected as members of Parliament. The percentage of women MPs is currently 12,66%, compared to 8,7% in the previous Parliament. It should be noted that the measure calling for a quota of one third women candidates on the electoral lists first took effect in the Municipal and Prefectorial elections of 2003. Finally, following the recent national elections of March 2004, a woman economist (Prof. Helen Louri) was appointed as Senior Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister.

A LAST NOTE

My own academic background and teaching experience places me at the crossroads between Law & Economics and Legal Sociology. Hence, I am hoping that in the coming years, I will be able to document the current status of feminist economics in Greece, but also coordinate academic activities that would invite an ongoing and stimulating dialogue between the Greek chapter of IAFFE-Europe and its European counterparts. My personal wish is that much of our future research, teaching and writing will focus specifically on women and their problems. Cultures may vary across Europe, but one unifying pattern binds us together: unjust social practices affect and afflict women disproportionately relative to men. Since economic activity is embedded in current social structures, we could use the tools of social science not just to collect data, but also to advocate solutions to existing problematic relations. I am convinced that IAFFE-Europe will forge new paths in the direction of promoting democracy and equality.