Days before International Women’s Day, March 8, Neos Kosmos went out to the ‘Greek Town’ of Oakleigh to discuss the significance of this day.
The feminist movement, the drive for more women’s rights, and the role of women are topics that invariably ignite lively dialogue about gender roles. Neos Kosmos sought perspectives from Greek women and men from different generations.
The women
The women we talked to had divergent views as they reflected on their roles and place in the world. Some recognised progress, while others said more was needed.
“This revolution started to show that women are human,” Betty said, adding that she has seen significant progress in her lifetime.
“If there are no women, the system wouldn’t work. Many women I admire are wise, even those who didn’t study.
“Men may think they are the ‘head’ of the household, but without women, they are not. Unfortunately, I have often seen women mistreated, women being put down.”
Poppy, who grew up in Australia, said she was “satisfied” with the progress women have made in all areas compared to when she was a child.
“Throughout the years, women have been oppressed. Now they have freedom and good professions. Their thinking is different, the way they are educated is different, and their lives have advanced. They are appreciated more now because they have the same qualifications as men. Respect and good communication between men and women is the key. I have been married to my husband for 46 years, and we have a great understanding of each other, good communication and respect for each other.”
“When I used to work, International Women’s Day was a big deal, and it was lovely to commemorate women for everything they accomplish as mothers, daughters and professionals. Overall, it’s nice to have a day that acknowledges women,” Phyllis said.
She and her sister, Vassy, enjoyed the morning sunshine with their elderly mother, Eleni.
“We still have a long way to go, especially when it comes to domestic violence. I also feel that social media and the media haven’t helped us progress. If anything, we’re going backwards.
“I see young girls today focusing on self and image. For women who seek equality to become strong and independent, we need to empower them rather than objectify them.”
“Where I used to work, I had a lot of admiration for the women working there. They were in medical research, and they were amazing.
“I never saw them brag about themselves. It was all about intensive research and what they could do for the people. They were making breakthroughs, but they didn’t care about accolades. They’re the women on the list that I admire, and I would like to see more of them rather than in our sport-dominated culture. It’s all men and sport.
“We see women’s soccer, but there’s so much more that women could be and should be acknowledged for. It’s the same with politics.” It would be great to have more women making policies and speaking out for women. But it’s tough because we are stuck in the middle, and we do have a lot of roles, unfortunately,” said Phyllis.
“Let’s not forget all the caring we do,” her sister Vassy added.
“We are the ‘sandwich generation’, so we’re caring for our children, looking after parents, ourselves, and now our kids starting their own families.
“Women are overworked, and the value of their work as caregivers goes unnoticed with the responsibility they have. Not that we don’t want to do it. It’s something inside us.
“We can’t have equal opportunities with men; we can’t pursue a career, perhaps because there’s an expectation that we’ll care for the family. Once you start a family, the dilemma comes in.”
“I am very happy with my girls who take me everywhere, although I am sad that I cannot look after them and make them happy,” their mother, Eleni, said.
Her daughters said that over the years, she has been the “backbone” of the family. “It must be hard, I suppose, having this incredible energy and everyone dependent on you to lose that independence suddenly in old age.”
Two young women, Brie and Penny, were chatting.
“I don’t know much about this day, but I guess it is about celebrating women, their independence and being strong,” Brie said. She said women are “definitely more independent today than they used to be, though there is still work to be done in the professional sphere.”
“When you are a mother, you are needed 24-7, you don’t get a break, and there are still challenges, especially in the workplace where things are not yet equal, and where she has often witnessed female employees being poorly treated.
The men
Roumeliotis, who sat outside ‘Melissa’, said, “To achieve equality, we must ensure gender pay equity and end the bullying women experience in the workplace.
“Today, we honour women and their enduring struggle for equal rights. I don’t believe though that women are satisfied just yet…”
“Women today can succeed in everything. They become pilots and captains, not to mention politicians. They drive taxis, play soccer, and attract more crowds than men in Australia. I don’t think that we differ in anything.”
He said that regarding the challenges many women experience, he was taught from a young age to respect women.
“My mother’s mum was beaten to death sometime in 1942 by my grandfather, and my other grandmother – my father’s mother, who I loved dearly – suffered at the hands of a man who was thought to be ‘a gentleman’ outside his home.
“Due to this, my parents taught me to look after women. I was born in Nea Philadelphia, in the suburb of Kokkinos Milos. It was an impoverished area, and every day, I witnessed what women went through.
“Even today, I sometimes think of those girls who, back then, two years out of Primary school, were engaged or married off. Though this does not happen today, women still face -especially here in Australia- sexual harassment. And this we have to eradicate.”
Verginis, another man enjoying his morning coffee in Oakleigh, was optimistic about the future for women in Australia.
“In Australia, women have found their freedom; they have asserted their rights and are now independent. I think the circumstances for women have improved tremendously, and I believe that we will eventually reach full gender equality in our society.”
Next to him, Niko (not his real name) opposed how the feminist movement was presented, believing that it had done more harm than good, at least as far as raising a family was concerned.
“If you look around, you will notice that women seem to have lost themselves today. A woman’s role by nature is to raise children. If she wants to work, that is all good… but she can’t drag everyone down with her… she has dismissed her role in the family,” he says morosely, stressing that he still admires all women.
“For me, nature has made her a flower on earth, yet she has lost her values…”.
“We celebrate women 365 days a year, not just one day,” Tzamouranis, said.
“I celebrate my wife and granddaughter daily with flowers, hugs and kisses.” But he believes that this whole “media campaign” for women’s equality has done more harm than good to women themselves.
“We Greeks had placed women on a pedestal, but the media is trying to bring women down to our level, which is a big mistake. We had the goddess Athena placed on the highest point of Athens.
“We made sure our women did not need to work and were treated like ‘queens’ in the home. God created women to reproduce our species. But as we developed, women are now working, they have become actresses and singers.
We have accepted all that, but women haven’t realised that in the process, they are being exploited.
“We don’t hate women for asserting their rights. Still, we pity them because they are being exploited and don’t even react anymore.”