A study of female immigrants in Greece was published today by the Research Center for Gender Equality (KETHI) and its findings are depressing but not surprising.
Of some 500,000 female immigrants in Greece, most work as babysitters, cleaners or housekeepers, even though 25 percent are educated to degree level, the KETHI study found. Many of the younger female migrants (in the 18 to 39 age group) would like to start their own business – as many have done in other countries – but barriers to social integration and bureaucracy ensure that most of them remain in low-paid jobs
Discrimination, bureaucracy and employers not paying their social security contributions are blamed for the fact that most of these women will never achieve their potential as vibrant members of this society. They are exploited. Many are basically slaves, working long hours with no benefits and no security.
The Kathimerini article is (as usual) a muddled summary of the report but you can read it here.
I have serious problems with the way the paper reports immigrant issues. The article entitled The foreign woman at home (in the same issue) reads to me like an ode to slavery rather than a commentary railing against the inactivity of the government and the exploitation of “foreign” women. You know like, these foreign women are raising our children and looking after our old people and we have now accepted them as “family members”. Rather than recognising them as women in their own right. With skills, ambitions and dreams other than taking care of you and being the saviors of your happiness.
The article really bothers me…
What do you think ?
Technorati: women, immigration, workers rights, greece
Blog against Sexism by deviousdiva on May 12th, 2006
Miss Landmine by deviousdiva on March 20th, 2007
Toni Morrison by deviousdiva on February 19th, 2007
The 37th edition of the Disability Blog Carnival
0 Comments Published by deviousdiva May 8th, 2008 in Carnivals. Technorati: ableism, disability rights, carnivals,
Greece Under Fire Over Refugee Treatment by deviousdiva on April 3rd, 2008
Iraqi Detainees by deviousdiva on April 6th, 2007
Promised Land by deviousdiva on November 16th, 2007
Tonight is DD Live. No-one came last week so I talked to myself for a couple of hours. I hope some of you will make it this week, otherwise I’ll just get bored with myself and that’s just silly. (Too much Monty Python methinks ?)
All the information for joining the chat is here
.
See you later hopefully.
Cartoonist 2 by deviousdiva on March 30th, 2007
City Streets by deviousdiva on November 18th, 2007
Femwatch 2 by deviousdiva on March 20th, 2008
Today is World Red Cross Red Crescent Day
Please consider making a donation today for the people of Myanmar. Unfortunately, the International Red Cross does not accept PayPal. If you know of an ethical charity organisation working in Myanmar that does, please let me know.
The official death toll so far is 22,000 but could exceed 100,000 according to the senior U.S. diplomat in the country. The numbers are so high it is hard to imagine…
I am speechless and even more so because I was chatting with someone yesterday who didn’t even know that the cyclone had happened!
Spread the word…
UPDATE: You can make Paypal donations to the World Food Programme
The World Food Programme has sent four aircraft loaded with critically needed food aid and other relief items for thousands of people struck by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar
I received this press release this morning from the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece (ΟΛΚΕ) about the court case they are facing over the use of the word lesbian. Please spread the word about this outrageously homophobic court case.
Athens, May 7th 2008
Press Release
With great astonishment we were informed by the media the deposition of a restraining order in the Court of First instance in Athens against our association. The plaintiffs Coconi Kouvalaki, Maria Rodou and Dimitrios Lamprou demand that we cease to use the “‘national’, local characterization Lesbian” and all its derivatives.
The hearing of the case will take place on June 10, 2008.
Our association, since its founding moment, was decided to be named “Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece (ΟΛΚΕ)”, in order to grant lesbians more visibility in the Greek society. It is more than obvious that we refer to women of homosexual orientation. The word lesbian has been used internationally and officially with the specific meaning since the 19th century.
The lack of tolerance that is expressed with this act constitutes lesbophobia. If the plaintiffs consider that the use of the particular term “provokes and insults the right to personality… since it harbors offense to (their) dignity”, this is due to the homophobia which, unfortunately, can be found in at large in the Greek society.
We believe that in a society, where no one is considered as a second class citizen, because of their sexual orientation, no verbal attribution would provoke or insult any of their fellow citizens.
Respectfully,
The board of directors
Αθήνα, 6 Μαῒου 2008
Δελτίο Τύπου
Με έκπληξη πληροφορηθήκαμε από τα μέσα μαζικής ενημέρωσης την κατάθεση αίτησης ασφαλιστικών μέτρων στο μονομελές πρωτοδικείο Αθηνών από τις Κοκκώνη Κουβαλάκη, Μαρία Ρόδου και τον Δημήτριο Λάμπρου κατά του σωματείου μας, που αξιώνουν την παύση της χρήσης των «”εθνικών” τοπικών χαρακτηρισμών Λέσβιος, Λεσβία, Λέσβια, Λέσβιο, Λεσβιακός –ή, ό».
Ημερομηνία εκδίκασης της υπόθεσης έχει οριστεί η 10η Ιουνίου 2008.
Το σωματείο μας από την πρώτη στιγμή αποφάσισε να ονομαστεί Ομοφυλοφιλική και Λεσβιακή Κοινότητα Ελλάδας για να κάνει τις λεσβίες περισσότερο ορατές στην Ελληνική κοινωνία. Είναι ολοφάνερο ότι αναφερόμαστε σε γυναίκες με ομοερωτικό προσανατολισμό. Η λέξη λεσβία χρησιμοποιείται διεθνώς και επισήμως με τη συγκεκριμένη σημασία από τον 19ο αιώνα.
Η έλλειψη ανοχής που εκφράζεται με την κίνηση αυτή συνιστά λεσβοφοβία. Αν οι ενάγουσες και ο ενάγων θεωρούν ότι η χρήση του συγκεκριμένου όρου «προκαλεί και προσβάλει το δικαίωμα της προσωπικότητας… καθώς ενέχει προσβολή της αξιοπρέπειας (τους)», αυτό οφείλεται στην ομοερωτοφοβία που συναντάται δυστυχώς σε μεγάλο μέρος της ελληνικής κοινωνίας.
Πιστεύουμε ότι σε μία κοινωνία όπου καμία και κανένας πολίτης δεν θα ήταν Β’ κατηγορίας εξ’αιτίας του σεξουαλικού προσανατολισμού του/της, κανείς λεκτικός προσδιορισμός δεν θα μπορούσε ούτε να προκαλέσει ούτε να προσβάλλει καμία και κανένα συμπολίτη μας.
Με εκτίμηση,
Το ΔΣ της ΟΛΚΕ
The Real Lesbians by deviousdiva on April 30th, 2008
I think that the Eurovision Song Contest is a terrible display of awfulness but this is really disturbing. Fascist groups have threatened violence against gay people visiting Serbia for this years competition.
Technorati: eurovision, serbia, gay rights, hatred, violence
Athens Pride 2008 by deviousdiva on May 5th, 2008
Greek Bloggers Against Discrimination by deviousdiva on March 19th, 2008
Same Sex Marriage by deviousdiva on March 14th, 2008
I found this on Flubberwinkle’s blog. I hope you will all take part on the 15th May 2008. Go here for more details.
Pass it on.
Technorati: human rights, bloggers, unite, blogcatalog
I know it seems like a long way off ( June 7th ), but Gay Pride 2008 are working hard on this years celebrations. The silliness of the recent argument over the word lesbian and the brilliant activism against “domestic partnership” legislation that would exclude gay couples, has got me thinking about gay rights in Greece and about my support of the people who are working tirelessly to make sure that they are upheld.
Gay Pride 2008 have a new logo, their new slogan “IT’S OUR RIGHT” speaks to me about not only the gay community but about human rights generally in Greece.
To a Greece that is glaringly lax in ratifying the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons
To a Greece that refuses to speak to our needs
To a Greece hindmost in social programs that concern us
To a Greece that asks why we celebrateAthens Pride responds:
IT’S OUR RIGHT!
It’s our right!:
To express ourselves
To dare
To celebrate with prideIt’s our right!:
To assert ourselves
To marry
To adopt
To give birthIt’s our right!:
To be in love with the same sex
To be in love with all sexes
To question our gender
To reassign our genderIt’s our right!:
To walk hand-in-hand
The media sponsors of the parade have some great links and resources for the gay community.
And they are looking for volunteers:
We really appreciate your interest in being an Athens Pride volunteer!
Besides assisting our grassroots project and helping to write LGBT history in Greece, it’s also a great way to make friends in the community and experience our Greek hospitality
Contact Gay Pride 2008 if you want to help out.
Please send me any other information you have so I can let my readers know the latest news.
DD
Technorati: gay rights, greece, gay pride, it’s our right
Eurovision Song Contest by deviousdiva on May 7th, 2008
Greek Bloggers Against Discrimination by deviousdiva on March 19th, 2008
Same Sex Marriage by deviousdiva on March 14th, 2008
Via Zoe Williams at The Guardian
I know I don’t live there anymore, but I still care about what happens to my former home city. This is not good news… Boris the Joke Johnson is now Mayor of London. Now they don’t have to imagine… it’s reality.
Londoners - some famous, some not - imagine their city under Boris
Alan Rickman
Actor and director
“If Boris Johnson gets elected it would be a case of the lunatic having no clue how to run the asylum. Good luck to Ken, good luck to all of us.”
Dr Nonee Sen, 68
Barrister
“Boris has as little knowledge of multiculturalism as I have of life on Jupiter. He used to go to this club in Oxford called the Bullingdon Club, full of snobs and creative conmen. The man has not only no physical ability to run anything, he is immoral and a bully. Boris as mayor would be like discovering you had piles and there was no cure for it.”
Vivienne Westwood
Fashion designer
“Boris as mayor? Unthinkable. It just exposes democracy as a sham, especially if people don’t vote for Ken - he’s the best thing in politics. Unthinkable.”
10.000 HITS PARTY by deviousdiva on December 9th, 2005
101 things by deviousdiva on July 16th, 2007
15 MINUTES by deviousdiva on June 30th, 2005
Two more links for today…
This one is shocking to say the least:
Grandiloquence no substitute for deeds
Ultimately, a state is judged by the amount of care it provides to its weakest members
. On this front, the Greek state scores negative marks and the numbers illustrate just how poor its performance is.
Of the some 180,000 children in this country with physical or learning disabilities, only 1,350 will ever make it into secondary education. This percentage of 0.75 reflects the size of the state’s failure, as it confines itself to making grandiloquent statements while leaving the weaker members of society to fend for themselves when it comes to their education.
The government has taken a first step with the draft law for the reform of education for people with special needs. There is concern, however, that these changes will be nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to what needs to be done. What’s more, the government needs to move fast on change, because it has dragged its feet for far too long.
We must never forget that no one should be excluded from our society.
And can I just say “about time” on this one:
A landmark ruling by the Supreme Court, which was made public yesterday, means that the unmarried partners of people killed in car crashes can be considered members of the family and are entitled to compensation.
The court issued its decision after hearing the case of the partner of a 51-year-old man who was killed in an accident after the couple had had a baby together.
In its ruling, the court said that it accepted that the man’s partner “was tied by love and respect to her partner” and suffered as a result of his sudden death “deep pain and intense distress and as such deserves adequate financial compensation.”
The court awarded the woman 15,000 euros. It is the first time that a person who is not an immediate relative of someone who has died suddenly has been awarded damages for the loss of their loved one.
In their ruling, the judges also called for laws governing cohabitation to be introduced. The Justice Ministry has already said it is working on such regulations.
I know it’s May Day and it’s a holiday for most people here in Greece, but it’s still Thursday and today is DD Live.
Cartoonist 2 by deviousdiva on March 30th, 2007
City Streets by deviousdiva on November 18th, 2007
Femwatch 2 by deviousdiva on March 20th, 2008
I really don’t know what to say…
Via Mercury: The Voice of Tasmania
Residents of the Greek island synonymous with the love verses of an ancient woman poet have launched a legal case against a gay group insisting that they are the real Lesbians.
Two inhabitants of the island of Lesbos along with a member of a nationalist pagan association today launched a legal case to ban the Greek Gay and Lesbian Union (OLKE) from bearing the name “lesbian”.
Lesbos was the home of the poet Sappho, who expressed her love of other women in lyric verses written in the early sixth century BC.
Lesbos residents now suffer “psychological and moral rape” from the “seizure” of their island’s name by gays, said the activist Dimitris Lambrou, in a text titled The Misfortune of Being Lesbian, published on his website.
Lambrou believes the case will be judged in Athens in June.
“This affair is totally ridiculous,” said OLKE spokeswoman Evangelia Vlami. “But if we are summoned by the courts, we will be heard.”
Lesbos is often referred to in Greece as Mytilene, the island’s capital. The resort of Eressos is a popular tourist destination for lesbians visiting the Aegean island in the north-east of the Orthodox Christian country.
The Real Lesbians Update by deviousdiva on May 8th, 2008
The recent explosion (implosion might be a better word) in my small bit of the internet has been sad, infuriating, bitter, depressing and ultimately only productive in building more walls and barriers between us so-called feminists.
Two of my favorite bloggers have quit. Here are their last posts. brownfemipower and blackamazon
I took a step back from the whole mess because I could not organise my thoughts and feelings in any coherent way. Let me try and do that now because remaining silent feels like betrayal.
After the initial legitimate complaints about Seal Press ignoring women of colour writers, many people ran to their defense and made it seem like the race issue was unimportant and trivial. It then emerged that a big time blogger has a book deal with them that is doing very well thank you very much. Soon after that another big time feminist site came out in full support of this blogger and her book. Accusations started flying backwards and forwards: “You are all jealous because you don’t have a book deal”, “You are trying to play the race card”, “You are all too angry, wild and mouthy”.
Thanks to the vigilance of some great bloggers out there, the images that appear in that book became public. Racist images. See them for yourselves. After that, two apologies appeared. One from the author of the book and one from Seal Press. I am not linking because I do not want to be involved in the apologies or the responses from their supporters. The people in question have “resolved” the issue with a short coordinated apology and that has been enough for them.
But
Some people still do not and will not understand the profound pain that their words have caused.
Some people still do not and will not understand the profound pain that those images have caused.
I think Sudy sums it up better than anyone.
The comment threads are long and if you haven’t been following closely, they are impossible to catch up on. In a nutshell, they have swung between a love fest for the author (how brave to apologise, how great you are etc), arguments and counter-arguments and finally to a declaration of “blogwar” against the women of colour who initially complained.
I want to say two things:
One: I feel bad that I can no longer ally myself with Feminism as an organisation although I consider myself to be a feminist.
Two: I can longer engage with people who claim to be allies but are looking out for themselves. Whether that’s about money, hits or popularity.
To everyone who is trying to negotiate their way around this mess, I am on the road with you.
To bfp and blackamazon, you have been and always will be inspiration.
To everyone who follows this blog for Human Rights issues in Greece, thank you for your patience while I work this out.
I am writing this down for now even though there is so much more I wanted to say but emotion got in the way. I just wanted to make a start before I clammed up completely.
10.000 HITS PARTY by deviousdiva on December 9th, 2005
101 things by deviousdiva on July 16th, 2007
15 MINUTES by deviousdiva on June 30th, 2005
It’s Thursday again and it’s DD Live. The chatroom has been a little… empty recently but that’s understandable given the change of weather here (I’ve been going out more too) and the difficulties some people are facing in real life. However, I do miss chatting with you all, catching up on what’s going on and just messing about and having a laugh.
I would like to have extended the invitation to more people but I haven’t had much time this week. If you are interested in joining my regular Thursday chat , please email me.
Hope you can make it tonight. Look forward to seeing you there.
Cartoonist 2 by deviousdiva on March 30th, 2007
City Streets by deviousdiva on November 18th, 2007
Femwatch 2 by deviousdiva on March 20th, 2008
There has been a fair bit written recently about the current situation facing asylum seekers in Greece. You can find some of the articles covering the issue here. Greece is now rejecting the criticism made by the the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Greece says the UN’s accusations are untrue and it is trying to be fair in handling a big surge in migration
Nikolas Stavrakakis, Head of Asylum for the the Hellenic Police stated that
We are all over the country trying to screen the real people from those coming for economic reasons. We have big pressure and you have to be careful in order to be fair in this process. That’s why we have a lot of delays. All these accusations are untrue
Greek Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos, says something slightly different which at least acknowledges that Greece is not actually following EU regulations at the present time. He said the country
would fall in line with EU regulations before the end of June
He also said
Our first and only concern is respect for the human rights of all who arrive in Greece
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 14 (1) states that
Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution
I can’t quite see how Pavlopoulos’s sentiment stands up against the numbers (and the accusations of mistreatment of refugees here). Greece has the lowest asylum recognition in Europe by a long way.
Greece 25,113: 0.04% granted refugee status + 2.05% on appeal
UK 27,905: 34% granted refugee status + 24% on appeal
Sweden 36,370: 56% granted refugee status + 14% on appeal
Germany 19,164: 20% granted refugee status + 94% of the remainder on appeal
Does anyone have the figures on funding that Greece receives for asylum ? I have read that it receives very little given the numbers of asylum cases it has to process. I have also heard that the money it does get is not being used to process applications. If it is just a case of lack of funds then, of course, Greece should claim for more. However, I suspect it is a combination of factors.
There is a problem of organisation here. There is very little recognition or public awareness of the problems here for immigrants, refugees, migrants or asylum seekers. There is much denial and foot-stomping when individuals or organisations critisise anything that happens here.
Technorati: asylum, refugees, migrants, greece, human rights
Arrested and Beaten by deviousdiva on June 29th, 2006
Asylum in Greece Update by deviousdiva on March 7th, 2008
Asylum Seekers in Greece by deviousdiva on April 16th, 2008
