PANHELLENIC SOCIALIST

MOVEMENT PARLIAMENTARY GROUP

OF THE PARTY OF

EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS

PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF PASOK IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

“SOCIALDEMOCRACY-POLITICAL SPACE FOR THE INTEGRATION

OF ALBANIAN WOMEN”

Congress of the Socialdemocratic Women of Albania

Tirana, Albania, 21-22 April 2000

Αnna KARAMANOU SIW Vice-President-Member of the European Parliament, PASOK/GR

Dear friends,

It is a great pleasure for me to be here today, representing both the Socialist International Women, as Regional Vice-President and PASOK, and I would like to thank you for this honourable invitation. I am also very glad for having the opportunity, for first time, to visit your country which we all hope that has the ability to overcome difficulties and play an important role in the troubled region of the Balkans as well as in the European Union.

The theme of today’s Congress is very interesting and I feel that its aim should be twofold: first, to draw attention to the increasing need for women’s participation in political developments and second, to welcome as many Albanian women as possible to the politics of Socialdemocracy.

In the beginning of the new millenium we all find ourselves living in a world where economic values and societies are changing dramatically; globalization and technological revolution demand new methods, new ideas and new policies if we want to live in a way that is socially, economically, politically and environmentally sustainable. The recent developments in our region have brought again into light the issues of cooperation and solidarity among people and nations, while at the same time have touched all those who seek for solutions beyond the classical recipes of traditional politics. Greater participation of women in political life is required by the urgent demands for peace, sustainable development, cooperation and solidarity that the 21^st century is imposing upon us, as women are more associated with these values. For all of us, that is for Balkan women, it is a great challenge to prove that we can play a protagonistic role towards the consolidation of peace, stability, economic and social development in our region.

Furthermore, I feel that democratic socialism is the most viable and appropriate political field where women could be integrated in order to work towards the creation of a better world, as socialdemocracy and its political organisation, Socialist International-the greatest political network worldwide-are based upon the values of freedom, democracy, equality, social justice and solidarity.

The need for a gender-balanced participation in politics has been underlined repeatedly by many institutional bodies. Socialist International Women, in its last resolution adopted in Brussels, emphasised the need for more women to get involved in the public arena and to have decision-making capacity in collective matters, as this would benefit millions of people worldwide. Women have the ability to create a

new world as long as they are given the opportunity to have a share in power and incorporate their values into political life.

In the European Parliament women Socialists have noted that politics for women can only be achieved with women and therefore have set themselves the goal of incorporating women equally into the decision-making processes. As an immediate goal, Women’s Rights Committee of the European Parliament demands that equal rights policies be sufficiently integrated into the treaties of the Union. According to the European analysis, there are several reasons that account for the necessity of women's inclusion in the process of development and decision-making process:

· Reinforcement of democracy

In any society, democracy is based upon the participation of all people in the process of decision-making. Women constitute half of the population and are entitled to be represented proportionately.

· Application of the principle of equality between the sexes

Equality is a universal human right. The division of labour and the double standards should be abolished; both men and women are entitled to participate on equal terms in both private and public spheres, so that the historical marginalisation of women be transcended.

· Efficient use of human resources

Women constitute half of the World's pool of potential talent and ability and their under-representation deprives society of efficient use of human resources.

· Enrichment of political culture with different interests and value systems

Women's historical exclusion from the decision-making and their confinement into the private domain has led to sex differences in values and interests. In any democratic society political decisions should reflect the interests and values of all the people.

· Rejuvenation of political culture

Women's different set of principles, ideas and values, are more compatible with the social reality and political climate of our times and can contribute to the renewal of political agenda and political life.

For all those reasons women's integration into all political matters is recognised as essential for democratic development and the legitimacy of existing governments and institutions. Excluding women from life's opportunities and perpetuating inequality distorts the process of self-reliant development and as they constitute half of the world's population, their advance should be regarded the cornerstone of sustainable development. Therefore, Albanian women’s integration in the socialdemocratic family can contribute to the country’s welfare and the enhancement of its European perspective.

In Greece, PASOK’s victory in the last elections was followed by an increase in the number of women elected in the Parliament and in the government. At the moment, 17 women belong to the parliamentary group of PASOK compared to only 7 during the last parliamentary period, whilst, on the whole, there is an increase by 63,15% in the number of women who are occupying parliamentary seats at the moment (31 out of 300, that is 10,3% compared to 6,3% of the last period). This gives us hope that some positive changes may be on the way, aiming ultimately at a gender-balanced participation in all democratic institutions.

Women’s participation in politics is getting imperative in a world that is deprived of its humanity. As professor Francis Fukuyama advocated in his article titled “If women ruled the world” :”It could be certainly predicted that a greater participation of women in politics would lead to a less violent world. Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, may have been the female model in ancient times, however, in the contemporary world, female influence is definitely catalytic against militarism and for peace”.

Finally, I would like to thank you once again for inviting me here today and wish you all the success in the proceedings of the Congress.