Gender will tear us apart again - Gender-based inequality and employment in Greece

The recent publication of the Gender Equality Index 2020 Report by the European Institute of Gender Equality-EIGE) has placed Greece in the last position in the EU with regard to gender equality based on the composite index constructed and followed up on a yearly basis. This index monitors the performance of each member state in 6 domains: work, money, knowledge, time, power and health with two additional domains capturing gender violence and intersectional inequalities. This year the focus is on the digitalization of work.  

This ranking of Greece with regard to gender equality acted as a trigger factor as our Thessaloniki Office  is part of the international Heinrich Boll Foundation network placing gender democracy at the core of its interventions as a horizontal, strategic priority. In this framework, we organize this on-line debate on 10.12.2020 with the intention:

• Present the key findings of the Gender Equality Index 2020 Report
• Explore the causes leading to this ranking by focusing explicitly on the domains of work, time, gender violence and power.
• Detect key issues for further exploration, awareness raising and advocacy in the following year.

Both the report and our new gender stategy as Heinrich Boell Foundation highlight the structural causes behind gender inequality in the domains of work and care services with special emphasis on the reconfigurations brought about the pandemic. As such, this domain will be one of the thematic focuses of the debate. The domain of gender violence will be highlighted with special reference to the issue of femicide, a definitely alarming phenomenon. All in all, the approach followed is intersectional in order to allow for all inequalities based on gender identity and/or expression and sexual orientation to be explored beyond the binary male-female.  

Presentation of the report on behalf of EIGE: Christina Agoritsa, General Secretariat for Gender Equality, Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs

There will be two thematic rounds with comments on the findings of the report as well as a wider discussion with:

• Maria Stratigaki, Associate Professor at the Social Policy Department of the Panteion University, former General Secretary for Gender Equality
• Maro Pantazidou, co-supervisor of the global strategy and impact programme of Amnesty International and Phd candidate on the topic Future of Work
• Vagelis Kosmatos, psychologist - specialist in gender issues, responsible of academic work of the Gender Alliance Initiative

The first round will be an exchange of views between EIGE and the speakers on the report itself. The second round will include speakers' remarks on the gender equality legal framework in Greece, the role of stereotypes and civil society’s responses, as well as the future of work and digitalization from a gender perspective, while an open discussion will follow.

Coordination: Areti Georgili, Regional Leader of Lean in Hellas