Inequality for women in Greece

This November 2016 video says about itself:

Women & The Family – Ancient Greek Society

Ancient Greek women had very different outcomes in life depending on where they were born, and the class they were born into. Some could be isolated, valued only for their ability to bear children. Some could be prostititutes …and others could be empowered, tough, capable women who kept society together.

There are various issues in Greece. Like the terrible consequences of the austerity policies of the “troika” European Union-IMF-European central bank.

There are tendencies away from democracy; towards dictatorship and censorship.

There is racism. Of the nazi party Golden Dawn. But sometimes in governmental institutions as well.

And there is inequality for women.

From Dawn of the Greeks blog:

Gender equality in Greece and Bulgaria

Posted on July 2, 2013 by dawnofthegreeks

Gender equality statistics, comparing Greece and Bulgaria by Eurostat data for 2012 and the Greek statistics association.

From I Can’t Relax in Greece blog:

Health minister reintroduces forced HIV testing

Posted on 02/07/2013 by icantrelaxingreece

Detention and test measure brought back by Adonis Georgiadis

The brainchild of Pasok health minister Andreas Loverdos, the crackdown resulted in the detention and subsequent forced testing of women and the publication of their names, personal details and photographs in the media

A controversial measure that allows the police to detain people for the purpose of forced HIV tests has been reinstated by Adonis Georgiadis, in one of his first decisions as health minister.

The measure, introduced by Pasok health minister Andreas Loverdos shortly before the May 2012 general election, resulted in the round-up and subsequent forced testing of hundreds of women. The 17 found to be HIV positive had their names, personal details and photographs published in the media, in the name of protecting public health.

The women, labelled as “prostitutes” (although there was no evidence that they were involved in sex work) and accused of being “health bombs”, were kept in jail for months until they were finally acquitted of the charge of “intended bodily injury”. The final five were released last March.

Human rights groups were intense in their criticism of the action, which was formerly suspended about a month ago by deputy health minister Fotini Skopouli, who subsequently resigned following Democratic Left’s withdrawal from government.

The reintroduction of the measure serves not to protect public health but to trample on human rights and violate medical confidentiality, the HOMOphonia-Thessaloniki Pride organisation said.

[…]

[Read the full report on Eleftherotypia‘s English website: http://www.enetenglish.gr/?i=news.en.society&id=1236]

A new documentary, entitled Ruins: Chronicle of a HIV Witch-hunt, looks at the campaign as it was conducted in 2012. It features exclusive interviews with two of the women, two of their mothers, lawyers, journalists, doctors and activists, who campaigned for the women’s release.

Directed by Zoe Mavroudi, Ruins is in the final stages of editing and will be released in September. It is the first feature-length documentary produced by Radiobubble, a citizen journalism project in Athens.

This video is the film Ruins: Chronicle of an HIV witch-hunt.

See also here.

This week, officials from the “troika”—the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF)—were embroiled in talks with the Greek government, the latest stage in their massive looting operation against the country’s 11 million population: here.

Despite a recommendation from the country’s ombudsman that the woman’s gender identity be treated with respect while attending Athens 2nd upper high night school, she continues to be subjected to ‘escalating hostile, racist and transphobic behaviour’: here.

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