Personal Experience
Personal story/experience
I am Eleni, born in Crete, now 92 years old, and this is the story of my life. When I was 14, my family forced me to marry a man of 32. We had three children, fortunately, all boys. I worked every day to financially support my family. I worked as a farmer in the fields and sometimes as a factory worker, but my husband never helped, never took care of our children. At the end of each working day, I also had to clean the house and prepare dinner. Every day was a surprise because I never knew what would happen: some days he would beat me for no reason, others he wouldn’t. I still remember how he would tie me to a chair just because he felt like it. At one point, I decided to emigrate to Germany to escape my husband’s abuse, but also to earn more money for my children, so they could study and have a happy childhood. While I was away, my husband sent me many letters, threatening to send our children to an orphanage if I didn’t return. I knew he would do it without hesitation if I didn’t obey, so I returned to Greece, comforted only by the thought that thanks to my financial support, my children would have a future. Today, they all have brilliant careers: the eldest is a neurosurgeon, the second is a pharmacist, and the third works in the medical field. I saved them from a life of deprivation, abuse, and frustration, and that makes me proud. My life was not idyllic, it was full of sacrifices, fear, lack of love, and many hardships. But at least today, looking back, I am proud of what I managed to build despite everything, despite the dark moments and the constant terror that was always lurking.
General part
On paper, women are well protected by law in Greece today. In fact, in 2010, a law was introduced that guarantees, at least in theory, equal treatment between men and women in terms of access to employment, career development, professional training, and pay, in line with European directives.
This story is powerful, and the data that follows shows that it is far from alone…
Legal discrimination on workplace rights However, in practice, things are quite different.
Private companies still tend to prefer single, childless women, and once hired, women earn about 12.5% less than men for the same roles and responsibilities, according to Eurostat data. These disparities, combined with cultural factors that still confine women to the role of wife and mother, have discouraged female participation in the labor market. The economic crisis of 2009 further exacerbated this issue, increasing the number of women employed in precarious and low-paying sectors. Additionally, after the outbreak of the pandemic, female unemployment rose dramatically.
Time spent on unpaid care and domestic work In the first three quarters of 2020, the majority of people who were not actively seeking employment were women. This likely happened because many women chose to put their careers on hold to dedicate themselves to their families or were forced into this role due to a lack of support, which left them with no choice but to take on domestic and family responsibilities. Marriage remains the predominant form of union for couples in Greece, as the Christian concept of family is still deeply rooted. As a result, cohabitation and having children outside of marriage are not widely accepted, especially in rural areas. This is why many young women marry at an early age.
Gender gap in top management positions
Although in 2020 the first female President of the Hellenic Republic was elected, women are underrepresented in Greek politics. As of February 2024, only 23% of parliamentary seats were held by women.
Domestic violence
Regarding violence against women in Greece, Eurostat data collected between September 2020 and March 2024 shows that 37% of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15. Additionally, 52% of women have suffered consequences due to physical and/or psychological violence since the age of 15. Alarmingly, 16% of women who experienced physical and/or psychological violence from any abuser in the past 12 months did not tell anyone about it, this demonstrates that women still struggle to denounce because of social stigma.