The history of women’s rights in Greece is quite recent. It was not until 1952, when women were awarded voting rights and the first woman was elected as member of the Parliament, in 1953. The recognition of women’s political and human rights were followed by a massive participation in education and in economic activities, changes in gender roles and in family structures. There is no doubt that over the years the change in women’s role and their conversion from a domestic to a significant economic entity has been extraordinary. Greece’s entry into the European Community in 1981 encouraged the adoption of policies for the elimination of discrimination on grounds of gender, contributed to the development of a solid legal basis upon which equality could be sufficiently established and created an institutional framework which can be said to be one of the most progressive in the modern world. However, despite the political will guided by the provisions of the European Union, there are still problematic areas in Greek legislation and most importantly in daily life and practice.

    Today Greek women are very proud of the fact that 60% of the students in the Greek Universities are female, whilst at the same time we can observe women’s dynamic breakthrough in all scientific and vocational fields. It is noteworthy that where procedures are objective and meritocratic (as in the educational system) women usually triumph. In the judiciary 75% of the newcomers are women and the same applies in the services sector. It is interesting to note that the proportion of employed women with higher and postgraduate education is higher (37%) than that of men (34%). In the sector of cultural inheritance (antiquities, recent historical monuments, restoration of monuments, museums, etc), the presence of women is especially strong. Women archaeologists are in the majority in this field and reach the highest ranks. The presence of women is also significant in the restoration of monuments and in managerial positions as well. In the past few years, the heads of the national museums have been women and they have managed to receive important European awards for the organization and operation of museums. In assessing the presence of women in cultural life, it can be seen that it is continuous and substantial, despite the problems faced by women in Greek society in general and in the recognition of their professional and artistic qualifications in particular.

    The position of women in the Greek society is definitely improving. However, the apparent increase in women’s participation in educational, cultural and economic life has neither accompanied by a redistribution of family responsibilities nor by the representation of women in democratic institutions and the political decision-making process. In Greece, participation of women in politics remains very low and does not follow the progress achieved in other areas. Political reality today denotes a serious deficit in terms of democracy, as the majority of the Greek electorate, that is 50.51% of the population, is either a minority or absent from the political decision-making process altogether. Greece ranks near the bottom among the 27 countries of the European Union, in terms of gender empowerment, and 78th worldwide, according to the classification of the UN (Interparliamentary Union, 31 Jan. 2006). The results of the 2004 parliamentary and 2006 local elections indicate a serious democratic deficit in political life: 13% female participation in National Parliament and in Government, 17% in local councils. Quota system and the compulsory representation of women in the electoral lists remains a subject raising a great deal of controversy among different parties. At the same time the “patriarchal” structures of political parties, the electoral system with the preference vote and fierce competition between the candidates, as well as the unequal distribution of family responsibilities, are factors discouraging women from participating in public life. Furthermore, wage and earning differentials seem to have a negative affect upon women’s decision to participate in politics.

    It is obvious that what the Greek historian Thucydides had written about Athens, 2.500 years ago, namely “The City belongs to men”, still remains valid today and constitutes the basic principle of structure and operation of the Greek social and political system. At the same time, persisting direct and indirect discrimination and inequality in the labour market - only 47% of women are in paid employment – high unemployment rates, especially among young women, inadequate childcare and elderly care provisions, domestic violence and sexual harassment, the portrayal of distorted stereotypes by the mass media and the still prevailing double standards of sexual morality, are all problems dialectically connected to the male-centered culture, which prohibits participation of women in economic and political power structures. To these hurdles we can add the outdated religious traditions and discriminatory symbolisms, like the ban on women visiting the Mount Athos –the Holy Mountain with the 20 monasteries - an extreme case of gender-based discrimination against women, backed by a state penal law. The European Parliament has twice decided on a resolution against the ban. However, this tradition still stays long and remains a taboo in public discourse.

    The Government makes efforts to improve women’s situation in the country. Laws on trafficking and combating domestic violence were passed and despite their drawbacks and criticisms from the part of NGOs these laws are the first to classify trafficking among actions of organized crime and also penalize domestic violence and sexual harassment. There are more than 70 non-governmental women’s organizations in Greece which offer a decisive contribution to elevating the status of women by lobbying, organizing seminars, events, conferences, actions in support of women victims of violence and trafficking, providing services free of charge, such as legal advice, psychological support and defense at courts. Minority and immigrant women constitute an area that requires particular attention, as women of these categories are very often deprived of the most basic rights. In the political sphere, the “Political Association of Women”, established in 1998 by representatives and prominent figures of all Greek political parties, except for the Communist Party, is fighting for enhancing women’s participation in political life and decision-making process.