English Forum

Hello, I am the new animator of the mainstreaming forum (as soon as possible on your screan) ; my name is Fabienne Rinaldi and I'm french (it explains that there will be a lot of mistakes in italian and in english and yet I ask you to forgive me !).
my function will be to send you some conversation subjects about several themes all of them interesting ! The first one will be about the equality in politics between women and men and it will be based on the last mayors elections in France.
Talk (or write) to you soon.

FIRST THEME

March 25 2001 "For and against the law concerning the quality man-woman in politics"

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FIRST THEME

SUMMARY OF FIRST THEME

28 May 2001 Summary

SECOND THEME

April 20 2001 Movement "The Guard Bitch (dog)" to fight against the insults and others affronts made against political women.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO SECOND THEME

THIRD THEME

May 29 2001 "Wage's equality and Organization of work hours".

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIRD THEME

POLITICAL MENTORING THEMES

May 02 2001 Relationships between political and personal life

June 19 2001 Questions for mentors

CONTRIBUTIONS TO POLITICAL MENTORING THEMES

FIRST THEME

March 25 2001 "For and against the law concerning the quality man-woman in politics"

At the time of the first application in France of the law (http://www.Journal-Officiel.fr) concerning men and women equality in politics (March 11-18 2001 elections), law which compels political parties to register as many women and men candidates on the electoral lists for the mayors elections, the timeless of such a law can again be questionned. It should actually be remembered that this law was not unanimously approved (see, for example, the remarks made by Elisabeth Badinter, philosopher, http://www.lemonde.fr).
Several questions still remain :
1) How can it be explained that very few women enter in politics in France ?
2) How can it be explained that a country as modern as France has been obliged to vote a law to enable women to participate more in politics ?
3) Is the quota politics an appropriate means to help women get emancipation in the political life or, on the contrary, does it lead to see women as a minority needing a particular protection (positive discrimination) ?
4) Can actually women be seen as a minority when they in fact are in majority in the population ?
5) Will the law lead to a change in minds ?
6) What is the women's strengh in politics ?

CONTRIBUTIONS

  • April 10 2001 Contribution from Gunilla Sterner (Stockholm)

    "I think two good methods to increase women in politics is to have every
    other name on the voting lists a woman.That is up to every political party
    to decide. If that voluntary method does not work you can always decide for
    some kind of quotations legaly like you have done in other countries like
    for example France with mayors and India on the local level. There is also a
    need for mentors and networks between women in politics to keep their
    strength in spite of all resistance. And you also have to have decent
    working conditions for men and women in politics, like meetings in day-time,
    possibilities to be a politician and also a mother or a father."


    This message enables us to think about the necessary modifications to increase the number of women in politics : several problems forbid women to enter politics, as the control exercised by the political parties and, also, the timetable of a politician which is an obstacle to family life... but, I believe that in a lot of other professions the working hours are so numerous and in spite of this women become doctors, ingenieurs, etc, having a family life. So, is it that politics gather too many problems ? Do women want to enter into politics ? Do men want women to enter into politics ? Are women ready to fight to be recognized as equal to men in this field of activity ? (they fought for voting right, it still remains to fight to be elected ?)

    I'm curious to know about the place of women in politics in each country (if it's possible). It would be very intersting to be informed of the existence of groups who seek to increase the women's number in politics in each country...!

  • April 12 2001 Contribution from Gunnel Sjöstedt Karlsson, County Administration of Stockholm

    1) [question : How can it be explained that, very few women enter in politics in France?] I don´t know about France, but in Sweden I can think of a number of
    reasons:
    - family responsibilities
    - the conditions in political life are on men´s terms, not on women´s
    - traditions
    etc

    2) [question : How can it be explained that a country as modern as France has been obliged to vote a law to enable women to participate more in politics ?] In Sweden we had a Government Bill a number of years ago in order to
    increase the number of women in politics and in the Parliament. It was
    called something like "Every second a lady", and contained a number of
    actions to change the balance between women and men in politics. We didn´t
    think that we as a country could boast about being gender equal, when there
    were so few women in politics! It is an important gender democracy issue
    that women and men should be represented equally in decision making
    positions. Since most societies are governed by the gender system - Rule no.
    1: there is a gender hierarchy with men in a superior position, and women in
    a subordinate position (NOTE not necessarily as individuals, but in the
    society structure). Rule no. 2: there are /hidden/ rules in society to
    distinguish men and women from each other. What women do is worth less than
    what men do etc. - we have to have special measures/positive action, to
    change the system. Sweden now has a large proportion of women in Parliament
    and in the regional and local elected bodies, partly because of th example
    some parties set to have every second name on the electoral lists a woman,
    every second a man.
    Sadly enough, young politicians, many of them female, have a hard battle to
    get listened to when the older politicians set the agenda.
    To answer the question that a country as modern as France had to have a law
    to enable women to participate more in politics - I do not think changes in
    the power structure can happen without special measures. It will take too
    long time anyway. that applies not only for France, but for all modern
    society where the gender system is in work, every day!

    3) [question : Is the quota politics an appropriate means to help women get emancipation in the political life or, on the contrary, does it lead to see women as a minority needing a particular protection ?] I believe the quota politics is the quickest way to change the presentsituation. Since men are positively discriminated every day in everysituation, inconsciously and in the gender system, it is not wrong to try to apply the same rules to women to achieve a balance.

    4) [question : Can actually women be seen as a minority when they in fact are in majority in the population?] Even though women are more than half of the population, the gender system
    puts us in a subordinate position and that has to be changed by ourselves,
    with the help of the men an women who understand this, by laws, by
    Government Bills, by Gender Equality action plans etc. The rules that apply
    to a subordinate group, whichever that is, are the same that applies to
    "minority" groups. How else could we explain that there are so few women in
    decision making positions? There are many obstacles to subordinate groups:
    the "glass-ceiling" in the career, various "techniques" to keep the group
    down, less importance and less value of whatever the group does etc.

    5) [question : Will the law lead to a change in minds?] Yes, in many people´s minds, but not in all!

    6) [question : What is the women's strength in politics ?] I prefer not to speak about strengths of women and men - every woman and
    every man are so different within each gender. I just think that since women
    make up half the population, and women and men live their lives alongside
    each other an often on such different terms and conditions, it is a question
    of gender democracy that both women and men should have their say in
    society. A result of the different lives women and men live, is that they
    often look with different eyes upon societal matters, which lead to a better
    society for all, if we all have our say!

  • April 26 2001 Contribution from Julie Parrish, IEA Islington Enterprise Association (London)

    1): [question : How can it be explained that, very few women enter in politics in France?] As we know from the previous Ricette conferences this is not just a characteristic of France.

    (2): [question : How can it be explained that a country as modern as France has been obliged to vote a law to enable women to participate more in politics ?] Let's face the facts, in an ideal and equal world there would be no need for Laws to govern the conduct of society. And I think it unrealistic to ever expect that there will be, some day, an equal and level playing field - simply because of basic human behaviour. Within societies, our culture, mores and norms, influence what we believe to be acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. And as the human race we evolve and within this evolution we re-think and challenge behaviour to make certain situations unacceptable. There is always a need to 'police' situations - to keep Law and Order. In principle a LAW sets out a set of rules, it offers a basis for a code of conduct, it is regulated and can be enforced. Often Laws exist to correct wrongs and to support the basic fabric of society (ethics and morals). So, often Laws are established to serve and protect - often the most vulnerable in society. But as we all know Laws can be broken, but at least them being in place gives a vehicle for redress. In my opinion it is a fundamental principle that countries like France and the UK establish these Laws to try and make a difference in society.

    (3): [question : Is the quota politics an appropriate means to help women get emancipation in the political life or, on the contrary, does it lead to see women as a minority needing a particular protection ?] Any positive action measures can be a 'double edged sword'. In one respect positive action is needed to design tailored and specific measures in building an awareness of a problem to wider society, work towards redressing the balance and work toward equal representation. However there is a danger that the most cynical (of this type of approach) can oppose these actions as being 'quota' led and can backfire 'she only got the job because she is a woman'. Practice shows that positive actions that are not 'inclusive' and are forced on people/organisations/institutions can result in negativity and unacceptance. The 'problem' needs to be tackled in the wider arena and at all levels simultaneously and a confident organisation or institution (confident because they are applying good practice) will be strong and together enough to give a woman the job, because she is the best person for the job. If you take into consideration Maslow's Hierarchy of Need it offers a sound basis of how people first have to feel secure at the most basic levels (of survival) before moving onto more challenging and aspiration aspects of their life. And different measures need to be implemented at the various stages of 'development', and which suits the different strata of society. Let's fact it, women are the minority in politics, so surely it would make sense to encourage political parties, whether it is by Law or by shame to redress the balance. But what we must always face is the fact that if there is a problem with 'supply and demand' then there will always be a problem.

    (4): [question : Can actually women be seen as a minority when they in fact are in majority in the population?] In looking at statistics it is true that women appear to form the large percentage of the population, however this tends to happen (in the UK) in the group classified as 'older women' - as women live longer than men. I think what must be the most sensible answer to this as a lay person is that women have been generally locked into traditional roles as carers and as a life in politics requires substantial time to be dedicated this may be a fundamental reason. Also, the type of woman needs to be taken into consideration. Although a generality, the different strata in society need to be taken into account, where it is possible that women from more affluent backgrounds may have more educational and career opportunities.

    (5): [question : Will the law lead to a change in minds?] Law, as previously stated, can but an issue on the agenda and as people are made aware of the Law, this no doubt will have an effect on opinions. Will it change things? Women fought and struggled for the right to vote in the UK and extreme measures got the issue on the agenda. The contemporary struggle - only time will tell.

    (6): [question : What is the women's strength in politics ?] Women do have a different way of looking at things - in my experience. Women tend to be better communicators and 'team workers', and generally have a more sensitive nature, which must be seen as a strength and not a weakness. It is also crucial to have women representing women's views. We now have a Minister for Women and a Women's Unit in the Cabinet.

    Julie Parrish recommends to the Forum the opportunity to visit the site: www.womens-unit.gov.uk
  • 26 April 2001 Contribution from Maria José Nicolás

    I think that what is happening in France -and that has given the rise to the legal regulation on women's participation in the political field- is also happening in Spain and specially in Murcia. Women are hardly taking part in politics, and I think that it is because we don´t know really the paths to be potential candidates. The political parties are a complicate and unknown machinery for many of us, and we should be done the option to participate from inside, by informing us first over the activities that can be done.
    It should be claimed the entrance of more women in political parties, specially those who are taking part in other social, cultural, economic collectives or organisations. Those women should bring their experience and oppinions.
    Anyway, I don't think that the legal imposition is the best option as an appropriate way to achieve women's participation in politics, because we run the risk of getting the contrary effect, I mean, of appearing in the society as weak people that want to prevail over men, and this could cause even more repulse.
    I am for motivating women's participation through informing them, for men's becoming aware not to consider us as rivals or competitors, but as collaborators, and for training so that women could be better prepared.

    Best regards,
    Maria José.

  • 03 May 2001 Gunilla Sterner's answer at the message of Maria José Nicolas.


    I agree with your thoughts about working both from inside the political
    parties and from outside. In Sweden, the reason that the parties at last
    made votinglists with every second a woman, was the threat from a group of
    strong women that otherwise they would start a special party only for
    women.Such a party would get a lot of voices from women, we know that from
    experiences in Iceland and Norway.Today we have gender experts inside local
    administration which can cooperate and give support to women groups
    ouside.But we dont have an open resistance towards female politicians in
    Sweden, it is more subtile.
  • 26 Abril 2001 Contribucíon de Maria José Nicolás

    Creo que lo que ocurre en Francia y ha dado lugar a una regulación legal sobre la participación de las mujeres en la vida política, también ocurre en España, y más concretamente en Murcia. Las mujeres participamos poco en política y creo que es porque desconocemos los cauces para llegar a ser posibles candidatas. Los partidos son una maquinaria compleja y desconocida para muchas de nosotras, y debería de ser desde dentro donde se nos diese la opción de participar, primero informando sobre las actividades que se pueden realizar.
    Se debería reclamar la entrada en los partidos políticos de más mujeres sobre todo de aquellas que ya estén participando en otros colectivos u organizaciones, sociales, culturales, económicos, etc. Y que puedan aportar su experiencia y su opinión.
    De cualquier forma, no me parece acertada la imposición legal como fórmula adecuada para conseguir la participación en política de las mujeres, porque corremos el riesgo de conseguir un efecto contrario, es decir, aparecer ante la sociedad como personas débiles que queremos imponernos a los hombres, y esto ocasionaría más rechazo.
    Yo apuesto por la información a las mujeres para que se motiven y participen, por la mentalización de los hombres para que no nos vean como rivales o contrarias sino como colaboradoras, y la formación para que las mujeres estemos cada día más preparadas.

    Un saludo,
    Maria José.

  • May 04 2001 Contribution from Rosa Peñalver Cuotas

    I send you some reflections and the information I have on the subject 'Women's participation in politics', always referring to Spanish case, which I know best.

    1.- Is the quota an appropriate means to help to increase the number of women in decision making in politics?

    In Spain, there is no legal quota forcing the political parties, but the left wing ones (PSOE and IU, 1998) implemented an obligation of 25% and 30% women's participation each one. That fact led to an important change in our Parliament (Congreso de los Diputados), from 6% in twenty years to 17% in the elections in which the quota was established.

    The internal quotas in the parties have succeeded in increasing the number of women in the elected assemblies. However, we have to pay attention to the different election systems in each country. If we are worried about gender equality, it is essential the position in which women appear in those lists, because the more appropriate way seems to be the alternate one.

    In the Spanish case, the right wing criticised that decision of the left wing parties about forcing themselves to include in their lists a definite number of women, alternating man-woman candidates. They said that in their party women that were competent didn't need quotas, and that they got making decision posts by their own. But this is not true, and implies that the male rest of candidates that were in the Parliament (94%) are perfectly qualified only by being so, because nobody contests them having the entire quota.

    In spite of all the critics, the right wing parties also included in their lists a higher number of women (they even overcame the number of women comparing to the rest of political parties), and they used it during the campaign to say that without quotas, they include more women. But actually, those women were in positions without possibilities of being elected, as the election's results showed later.

    Finally, only the alternate man-woman lists could increase the number of elected women.

    Nowadays the left parties have expressed their quota as follows: "no electoral list will have less than 40% of one gender or more than 60% the other" .

    Conclusion: Although we have to hear their opponents' comments, quotas are temporal means that can make changes in a short term, and until now, they have been the instruments that have got better results.

    2.- It should be possible to force by law the political parties to establish the quota as a previous obligation for the elections, like some countries are beginning to do?

    I don't think it could be easy in a short term to adopt a quota by law in Spain, as it is in France, Portugal or India.
    However, we have to take in account that the Treaty of Amsterdam says that "members of the European Parliament must be elected by universal vote by an uniform process or based on common principles to all Member States". In order to achieve this electoral convergence, a European Directive may force the Member States to adapt their law. This is perhaps a good moment for us to organize and demand a unitary electoral process that take in account Amsterdam's rules on equality.

    I consider that this is a good moment to press the institutions for the need to increase their own legitimacy. Which legitimacy could have the institutions in which 52% of their citizens are not represented? Parity democracy should be one of the main points of the electoral reform. This is the right moment to fight for it from the progressive political parties, women's associations, equality bodies, women's lobby, etc.

    And I would also like to point out that many reports carried out by constitutionalist women in Spain say that only the support of law can assure women's equality in a short or medium term. They have analysed the jurisprudence until now, and they have concluded that a legal quota doesn't interfere with the articles 23 or 1.2 of our Constitution. That means that if there was political will it wouldn't be necessary to change our electoral law to impose the quotas.

    Conclusion: It is a question of political decision of men in power at the moment; but they don't seem to be interested in it. Nevertheless, because of the changes of the Treaty of Amsterdam, this is probably a good moment to fight for a change in law that could lead us to a parity democracy.

    3.- Do women really want to devote themselves to politics? Are they ready to be considered as equal to men in this field?

    The scarce presence of women in political power is now a political problem. It is difficult to explain the reasons for this fact. They are also very few as militants in the parties, and that begins to cause conflicts about the quotas even with their mates, because the women are less than them and they are assured a quota not proportional to their number.

    But there is also something to take in account: women who take part in politics nowadays have to sacrifice some values, a free conception of life, to accept the demands imposed by a world organized by men. The binomial "time-space" appears in an organisation structured by and for a male world.

    So, if conciliation of family life and political work is at the moment too hard, because of its unforeseen timetables, it is unavoidable the discouraging effect that it causes in many women.

    Concerning the competence, we have right now the best-qualified women's generation in all our country's history. Anyway, regarding that men are not questioned about their training, it doesn't seem fair questioning women about it.

    Conclusion: Only from power, only through our presence in decision making posts, can we change those parameters that rule the access to power. So, let's begin the necessary actions to start the change of a social organisation that urges its transformation and that could let us organize on values shared by men and women.

    NEWS:
    The parliamentary group Izquierda Unida (United Left) of Aragón has presented to Aragón Parliament a Proposal on 'the access on equal conditions for men and women to the electoral mandate and elective functions'. We will inform you about its evolution. If it were approved, it would lead to an important change in the legislation of that Spanish region, and could be followed by other regions as well.

  • 04 Mayo 2001 Contribucíon de Rosa Peñalver Cuotas

    Os envío algunas reflexiones y la información que tengo en torno al tema de la participación de las mujeres en política, me refiero siempre al caso de España que es el que mejor conozco.

    1.- ¿ El sistema de cuotas es el más adecuado para aumentar en nº de mujeres en cargos políticos de toma de decisiones?.

    En España no existe la cuota mediante ley que obligue a los partidos pero, el hecho de que los partidos de izquierdas ( PSOE e IU; 1998) implantaran como obligatorio en sus listas un 25% y 30% de mujeres respectivamente, significó un salto cuantitativo en el Congreso de los Diputados que pasó de un 6% de mujeres en veinte años a un 17% en las elecciones en que se implantó la cuota.
    Las cuotas internas de los partidos se han revelado como muy importantes para aumentar el número de mujeres en las asambleas elegidas pero, al definir la inclusión de mujeres, hay que tener en cuenta el sistema electoral del que estemos hablando dado que es diferente de un país a otro. Si nos preocupa el equilibrio de género es fundamental el orden en que las mujeres vayan en esas lista y parece el más adecuado el sistema "cremallera".
    En el caso español, la derecha criticó mucho esta decisión de los partidos de izquierdas de "obligarse" a incluir un numero determinado de mujeres y además alternado varón-mujer. Afirmaban que en su partido las mujeres que estaban capacitadas no necesitan cuotas y que llegaban a puestos de poder por sí solas, esto es una falacia y supone pensar que el resto de los varones que hasta entonces ocupaba el Parlamento (94%) están perfectamente cualificados por el simple hecho de serlo pues a ellos no se les cuestiona tener toda la cuota. Pese a todas las críticas, también los partidos de derechas incluyeron en sus listas un número mucho mayor de mujeres (superaban en nº las de los demás partidos) y lo utilizaron en la campaña afirmando que sin cuotas incluían más mujeres, pero estaban en posiciones que no tenían posibilidades de ser elegidas, como demostraron los resultados electorales. Al final, sólo las listas con alternancia varón-mujer sirvieron para aumentar el número de mujeres elegidas.
    En estos momentos los partidos de izquierdas tienen recogida la cuota formulada en el sentido de que "ninguna lista electoral tendrá menos de un 40% de un sexo ni más de un 60% de otro".
    Conclusión: Pese a que tengamos que escuchar comentarios de sus detractores, las cuotas son medidas temporales que pueden producir cambios a corto plazo y hasta ahora han sido los instrumentos que han dado mejores resultados.

    2.- ¿ Sería posible imponer la cuota por ley a los partidos políticos como una obligación para concurrir a elecciones como empiezan a hacer algunos países?.

    En cuanto a la posibilidad de imponer la cuota mediante ley como es el caso de Francia, Portugal, India... no parece fácil a corto plazo en España.
    Pero, si tenemos en cuenta que El Tratado de Amsterdam establece expresamente que "los miembros del Parlamento Europeo deberán ser elegidos por sufragio universal según un procedimiento uniforme o basado en principios comunes a todos los Estados miembros" y que para lograr esta convergencia electoral es posible que se apruebe una directiva europea que obligue a los estados miembros y prevea el proceso de adaptación de los estados quizás estemos en un buen momento para organizarnos y exigir que ese procedimiento electoral unitario tenga en cuenta las disposiciones de Amsterdam sobre la igualdad.

    Pienso que en este tema es un buen momento para presionar a las instituciones sobre la necesidad de aumentar su propia legitimidad, ¿ qué legitimidad pueden tener unas instituciones en las que el 52% de sus ciudadanos no están representados?. La democracia paritaria, ha de constituir uno de los ejes de esta reforma electoral, es el momento de luchar por ello desde los partidos progresistas, asociaciones de mujeres, organismos de igualdad, lobby de mujeres, etc.

    Por último señalar que las mujeres constitucionalistas en España han hecho estudios que revelan que, de no existir un apoyo en la legislación, la igualdad de las mujeres no podría estar garantizada ni a corto ni a medio plazo. Han analizado la Jurisprudencia que hay hasta el momento y han llegado a la conclusión de que una ley de cuotas en España no supondría ninguna contradicción con los artículos 23 y 1.2 de nuestra Constitución por lo que si hubiese voluntad política ni siquiera se necesitaría cambiar nuestra ley electoral para imponer las cuotas.

    Conclusión: es una decisión política de los varones que detentan actualmente el poder y que no parecen interesados en ello, pero posiblemente, por los cambios a los que obliga el tratado de Amsterdam, sea un buen momento para luchar por un cambio de las leyes que nos lleve a una democracia paritaria.

    3.- Pero ¿ realmente quieren las mujeres dedicarse a la política? ¿Están las mujeres preparadas para ser consideradas iguales a los hombres en este campo?.

    La escasa presencia de mujeres en el poder político se ha convertido en un problema político, y es difícil explicar las razones concretas que provocan este hecho. Además se da la circunstancia de que también son poco numerosas como militantes en los partidos, lo que empieza a crear conflictos con los propios compañeros a la hora de las cuotas pues numéricamente ellas son menos y se les garantiza una cuota que no es proporcional a su número.
    Lo que sí es objetivo es que entrar en política en estos momentos para las mujeres supone sacrificar unos valores, una concepción libre de la vida para aceptar unas exigencias impuestas por un mundo organizado por los hombres. El binomio "espacio-tiempo" reaparece en la forma de organización estructurada por y para un mundo masculino.

    Por tanto, si ahora es una carrera de obstáculos compatibilizar la vida familiar con la actividad política, con horarios imprevistos y fuera de toda regla, es inevitable que esto tenga un carácter disuasorio para muchas mujeres.

    En cuanto a la capacitación tenemos la generación de mujeres mejor preparada de la historia de este país, y además dado que a ellos no se les cuestiona la preparación no parece justo cuestionarla en el caso de las mujeres.

    Conclusión. Sólo desde el poder, sólo a través de nuestra presencia en los ámbitos de toma de decisiones podemos cambiar aquellos parámetros que rigen el acceso al poder. Iniciemos, por tanto, las acciones necesarias para comenzar el cambio de una organización social que pide a gritos su transformación y que nos permita organizarnos en torno a unos valores compartidos por hombres y mujeres.


    INFORMACIÓN:
    El grupo parlamentario de Izquierda Unida de Aragón ha presentado a la Mesa de las Cortes de Aragón una Proposición no de Ley sobre "el acceso en condiciones de igualdad de mujeres y hombres a los mandatos electorales y funciones electivas". Os mantendremos informadas porque, si se aprobara, supondría un cambio importante en la legislación de esa autonomía y que puede tener un efecto cascada sobre otras Comunidades Autónomas.

 

  • June 07 2001 Contribution of Eva De Gea

    THE ROLE OF WOMEN (Extract of the Newspaper "El Pais")

    Where are women?

    In relation to 1997, Blair has done without the women candidates, and according to the polls, he will regret it.


    ISABEL FERRER | Leicester


    Only two female politicians, the former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, with her impassioned repulse of the Euro, and the conservative spokeswoman of Interior Ann Widdecombe, obstinate in containing the immigrants' flow, have attract citizen's attention during the election campaign. The rest of the women candidates, either Tories, Labor or Liberal Democratic have hardly achieve to talk to the voter in first person, in a fight led by their male colleagues. Equally criticised for having ignored their women, the three parties assure that only positive discrimination will solve an irregularity that can cost them more than a vote.

    Things have been quite different this year for the hundred women deputies from the Labour Party who accessed to the Commons in 1997, when Tony Blair first won the general election. They and the three competent State Secretaries of Education, Employment and Commerce, or so popular people as Mo Mowlam, former minister for Northern Ireland, have become almost invisible during the last weeks. The campaign, planned and dominated by their male colleagues, didn't have a place for the women, and they have had to look for votes in their own constituency, while their leader visited on his own the schools, kindergartens and hospitals whose direct improvement was their responsibility since four years.

    It is true that the numbers don't seem to be scarce, but the little presence of women in the most visible events of the political activity, as this election, has affected all the parties. The Labor Party introduces now 149 women of a total number of 640 candidates, the Conservative 87 of 659, and the Liberal Democrats 140 of 639. Tony Blair, William Hague and Charles Kennedy could assure that the difference in relation to men was smaller than before. However, according to the experts, only 6.6 per cent of the British politicians who appeared in the media during the first weeks of the election campaign were women. Images of the wives or girlfriends of the political leaders, as Cherie Blair, Ffion Hague and Sarah Gurling occupied the rest dedicated to women, instead of explaining the achievements of the female candidates.

    Some reliable newspapers, as The Independent, have criticised the absence of women. They have reminded that the only female ones that have achieve to burst into the parties' agenda have been female citizens as Sharon Storer, wife of a cancer patient who couldn't find a bed in the cancer services, and who accused Tony Blair not to worry about Public Health. The other recognisable face was the one of a female student, Jo Balchin, who embraced the Labor leader in a school visit. A cartoon of the same newspaper showed a victorious Blair with a sticking plaster roll in his hand after having gagged the female Labor deputies. The Observer says that the consequences of the exclusion of the female candidates will be very visible today in the counting of the votes. According to a MORI poll, the lack of visible female candidates made the female vote intention go down from 73 to 68 per cent at the end of May.

    Paradoxically, women do figure in an important quantity in the closest circle around Blair. As Labor candidate, the Prime Minister has surround himself with female collaborators in the electoral bus that carries him along the country. Five women update his agenda, work for the success of his visits and deal with the national and foreign press. The rest, especially if they have been elected in the polls in 1997, have had to resign themselves making a grimace as Gordon Brown, Finances Minister and brain of this electoral campaign, doesn't respect their speaking turn, even when the questions were addressed to them.

  • 07 Junio 2001 Contribucíon de Eva De Gea

    EL PAPEL DE LAS MUJERES (Extracto de el Periódico "El Pais")

    ¿Dónde están las mujeres?

    Frente a lo ocurrido en 1997, Blair ha prescindido de las candidatas y, según los sondeos, lo lamentará


    ISABEL FERRER | Leicester


    Sólo dos políticas británicas, la ex primera ministra Margaret Thatcher con su exaltado rechazo del euro, y la portavoz conservadora de Interior, Ann Widdecombe, empeñada en contener el flujo de inmigrantes, han llamado la atención del ciudadano durante la campaña. El resto de las candidatas, ya fueran tories, laboristas o liberal demócratas, apenas han logrado dirigirse al votante en primera persona en una pugna dominada por sus colegas masculinos. Criticados por igual por ignorar a sus mujeres, los tres partidos aseguran que sólo la discriminación positiva resolverá una anomalía que puede costarles más de un sufragio.

    Para el centenar de diputadas laboristas que accedieron a los Comunes en 1997 con la primera victoria de Tony Blair, las cosas este año han sido bien distintas. Tanto ellas como las tres competentes secretarias de Estado de Educación, Empleo y Comercio, o bien personas tan populares como Mo Mowlam, antigua ministra para Irlanda del Norte, se han vuelto prácticamente invisibles durante las últimas semanas. Planeada y dominada por sus colegas varones, la campaña no les ha hecho un hueco y se han visto relegadas a la búsqueda del voto en sus propias circunscripciones, mientras su propio líder visitaba, en solitario, las escuelas, guarderías y hospitales cuya mejora directa fuera dejada a su cargo hace cuatro años.

    Si bien las cifras no parecen escasas, la discreta presencia de mujeres en los acontecimientos más visibles del ejercicio político, como estos comicios, ha afectado a todos los partidos. Los laboristas presentan esta vez 149 candidatas de un total de 640; los conservadores, 87 de 659; y los liberal demócratas, 140 de 639. Sobre el papel, Tony Blair, William Hague y Chales Kennedy podían asegurar, respectivamente, que el desfase con los varones era cada vez menor. Pero, según los expertos, sólo un 6,6% de los políticos británicos que comparecieron ante los medios en las primeras semanas de la campaña eran mujeres. El 84,8% restante no fue ocupado por la labor de las candidatas, sino por imágenes de esposas de líderes como Cherie Blair, Ffion Hague y por Sarah Gurling, la novia del jefe liberal demócrata, Charles Kennedy.

    Algunos diarios serios, como The Independent, han criticado la ausencia de mujeres recordando que las únicas que han conseguido irrumpir en la agenda de los partidos han sido ciudadanas ordinarias como Sharon Storer, esposa de un enfermo canceroso que no encontró una cama en los servicios de oncología y acusó a Tony Blair de no preocuparse de la sanidad pública. La otra cara reconocible fue la de una estudiante, Jo Balchin, que abrazó al líder laborista en una visita escolar. Una caricatura del mismo rotativo ha mostrado a su vez a Blair triunfante y con un rollo de esparadrapo en la mano después de haber amordazado a las diputadas laboristas. Para The Observer, las consecuencias de la marginación a que han sido sometidas las candidatas serán muy visibles en el recuento de votos de hoy. Según un sondeo de la casa Mori, la falta de candidatas visibles hizo decaer la intención de voto femenino de un 73% a un 68% a finales de mayo.

    Paradójicamente, las mujeres sí figuran de forma prominente en el círculo más cercano a Blair. En su calidad de candidato laborista, el primer ministro se ha rodeado de colaboradoras en el autobús electoral que le lleva por todo el país. Cinco mujeres mantienen al día su agenda, se ocupan de que sus visitas salgan como estaba previsto y lidian con la prensa nacional y extranjera. Las demás, y en especial si fueron elegidas en las urnas en 1997, han debido conformarse con una mueca cuando Gordon Brown, ministro de Finanzas y cerebro de esta campaña electoral, les quita la palabra incluso cuando las preguntas iban dirigidas a ellas.

  • June 14 2001 Contribution of Lola Frutos Balibrea

    The fight for the parity democracy in our Parliaments has an important symbolic value in the conquest of the equality in the rest of society. But entering the parliaments is not enough, if women don't enter into the economy and science, because both of them have a key position in power, and it is there where we find the real obstacles and barriers for women.

    I find it necessary to have a higher number of women in the decision-making organs inside the main academic, scientific and economic institutions. And I think so because if there is a big difference between a little elite and the rest of the women, we can take the risk of isolation for those women who have got the power. And another risk for them is to suffer what some authors call the "queen bee syndrome": to feel that she is the unique one and to be reluctant to spare time or efforts to those women who come after her.

    Lola Frutos Balibrea, Murcia (Spain)
  • 14 Junio 2001 Contribucíon de Lola Frutos Balibrea

    La defensa de la paridad en los parlamentos tiene un gran valor simbólico para la conquista de la igualdad sobre el resto de la sociedad. Ahora bien la entrada en los parlamentos no basta, si no se entra en la economía y en la ciencia, pues las dos tienen aspectos claves del poder y es ahí donde se producen verdaderos obstáculos y trabas a las mujeres.

    Creo que es importante contar con un número cada vez mayor de mujeres en los órganos de decisión de las grandes instituciones académicas, científicas y económicas. Y ello por la siguiente reflexión: si sigue habiendo una gran brecha entre una pequeña elite y el resto de las mujeres se corre el riesgo de aislamiento para las pocas mujeres que han llegado al poder y además se puede caer en lo que algunas autoras denominan "el síndrome de la abeja reina", esto es, creer que se es única y no estar dispuesta a ahorrar tiempo o esfuerzo a las que vienen detrás.

    Lola Frutos Balibrea, Murcia (Spagna)

SUMMARY OF FIRST THEME

28 May 2001 After received several answers about the first subject of the Forum, I propose a summary of the principal ideas. First, it appears that women's participation in politics is not enough and that this low participation is not good for democracy. In fact, women do not " make " politics like men do. On the contrary, they have certain pragmatism and a sensibility which lead them to approach politics, and political problems, in a different way. Second, it appears that voting a law on women and men's equality in politics is a necessary evil : as equality in politics cannot be reached in an other way, we must have a law which, it has been underlined, can make things changed. But, such law can weaken women's figure because women could be seen as a minority which needs a special protection.
To increase the participation, several propositions have been proposed. First, within the political parties, a work have to be done to make mentalities progress. Second, timetable in political life has to be changed because women are not ready to sacrifice family life, a certain quality of living, for a political carrier. At last, the organization of the society has to be modified because, in generally, it gives more importance to men's work and gives them the main responsibilities.

SECOND THEME

April 20 2001 Movement "The Guard Bitch (dog)" to fight against the insults and others affronts made against political women.

Hello, I'd like to propose a new subject for the Forum : it is about the movement called "Les Chiennes de Garde", "The Guard Bitch (dog)". The group is composed of women and men and the goal is to fight against the insults and others affronts made against political women. The group wants to ridicule the men who insult political women. As per this purpose, the group go, for example, in the restaurants where those men lunch and bark against them.
The questions we can discuss are, for example :
1) Why are they still men who think be able to insult political women yelling at them words like whore ?
2) Can we consider that these insults are the result of the political game (Is everything permitted in politics ? ; Do men use those insults against another men ?… certainly not using the same type of words) or do this words demonstrate how much men consider women as inferior ?
3) Is the mean, which was imagined to fight against this very bad habitude, efficient and adequate ?
4) If we consider that the intervention as necessary, which other mean may be proposed ?

CONTRIBUTIONS TO SECOND THEME

  • May 04 2001 Contribution from Sweden

    First I have to make clear that this kind of problems seems a bit unusual for us in Sweden. Men here are usually not that concrete in their insults against women. Many men do probably use insulting words about women here as well, but very seldom to their faces. When they talk to women, or talk in public, they are more sophisticated and hide their bad attitude. They may say that women are too weak or that it takes to much time for them because they have to discuss everything first, or something like that.

    If a male Swedish politician called a female colleague things like whore in public it would really be front-page news and everyone would be upset about it. That does not mean that the discussion about bad language used by men against girls and women does not exist in Sweden. But mostly we talk about it when we discuss school matters. In school there is a rising problem with boys using words like whore about their girl classmates.

    1) Maybe the climate in politics in general is a bit rougher where the example is taken from (France?), but it must be unacceptable anyway. What I wonder is if these words are used outside the formal political process, or within it? Does it happen more often in specific parties or is it a general problem through all parties? If it is not a general problem I think that the parties are responsible for their members and should stop letting them through as politicians. If they keep letting them through it proves that they have a bad culture in those specific parties?

    2) Everything is absolutely not permitted in politics! I would rather say that it should be the other way around. If the people who rule a country or a district cannot show respect to each other, how could we demand other people to do so? And I do not believe that men against other men use these kinds of words. When men criticise each other they usually talk about the matter they don't like, seldom about the person who stands for it. Men may think that they use insulting words against women because they find them inferior, but the fact that they do use these words rather proves that they are inferior to the women they insult. Why would they otherwise use bad words instead of fighting the women's arguments?

    3) At first I thought the method was rather strange. I mean, what good comes out of barking at men at their lunch break? But then I thought of all kinds of civil disobedience that actually has lead to better democracy processes, freedom of speech and equality. Maybe this is a successful way to work from the absurd, present situation in your specific area. Though, generally I think that long term work is more efficient. With that I mean discussions about it in media, in school, in political areas, to change the attitudes and not only the expressions of the attitudes.

THIRD THEME

May 29 2001 "Wage's equality and Organization of work hours".

In our society, we observe a distortion of wages between women and men, the pay of the women's work being, for an equivalent occupation, lower than the men's one. This situation, sometimes denounced, is not the purpose of positive measures. How can we explain such inactivity of the public institutions and of the syndicates? [See the Arcidonna's initiative on this subject]. Besides, it is still true that women have to work more, that they do not have the right to mistake and that they often are employed in an occupation for which they are over qualified. It adds at the wage's inequality. For several years, another reason of the wage's inequality is appeared : women are victims of the work's flexibility. For example, the part-time work is to often imposed to women who receive a wage inferior at what they could pretend being materially free for a full-time work. Besides, the organization of the 35 hours of work per week in France can be based on the year (computation per year) and have negative consequences. This option has been made by the distribution (mega stores) and the consequence is that the employees remain subdued at a difficult rhythm of work, long days and long moments of rest in which they don't know what to do as they live far from the work's place. To end, it can be recorded that women's unemployment remains higher than men's one.

What can you tell us about your country? Is there a wage's equality? Are some actions carried out to fight against the wage's inequality? Do people are conscious of the problem?

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIRD THEME

  • June 14 2001 Contribution of Jens Kruhøffer

    Outcome of Employment and Social Affairs Council 11 June, 2001

    It was a very successful Council with three political agreements on key directives and overall a very forward-looking and constructive meeting, including a discussion on sustainable development.
    (…)
    Third, Council also reached unanimous political agreement on a common position regarding an important amendment to Directive 76/207/EC on equal treatment between men and women at work. The key elements of this agreement (which includes a general updating of the law in this area) are : sexual harassment is established as a form of sex discrimination and the employer is thus required to provide a harassment-free workplace ; where fathers take paternity leave, they must be trated on an equal footing with mothers when they return to work.
    However, the Commission entered a statement in the minutes because the political agreement did not take up a number of additional points advocated by Commission and Parliament.
    Conciliation is thus likely on this directive. However, any conciliation process will need to be managed carefully if we are to reach the deadline for final adoption (by the end of the year) as set out in the Stockholm conclusions.
    With regard to gender mainstreaming the Council agreed to continue the practice of gender mainstreaming in policy areas other than employment and social affairs. The Swedish presidency reported back on the work done on research issues and in the development area. The Belgian presidency indicated that it will focus on the Barcelona process and the broad economic guidelines. (The Swedish presidency indicated that they would raise gender mainstreaming at the European Council in Göteborg).

  • June 18 2001 Contribution of Louise Malmström

    About wages equality and organisation of work hours

    Equality in wages is a reality even in Sweden. Though it is illegal to treat men and women different even when it comes to wages it is in fact still a problem. Some years ago we could see a trend in reduced differences between men's and women's wages, but unfortunately we are moving backwards to increasing differences again since the nineties. It is easy hidden when you study the difference in wages in different occupations. Many people believe that the fact that occupations dominated by women also are low paid is a mere chance. But when it comes to men and women with the same occupation and wages still differs it's harder to explain. And there are a lot of examples of that. Also complicated organisation of work hours occurs, mostly in occupations with many women employed, even though I think it was even more common earlier (the union has been working against it for several years).

    If you feel like you are treated worse than other employees at work because of your gender, independent of if it is a matter of your salary or something else, in Sweden you can complain about it to the union. If they can't help you to sort things out, you can talk with the commissioner of equality (which for the first time in Sweden happens to be a man right
    now!). As a last instance cases can also be taken to the labour court.

    About the consciousness of the problem, the answer will differ depending on whom you are asking about. The union and women's organisations are of course aware of it. So are highly educated people, I suppose. I also think that it gets better all the time, new generations are more aware of it than elderly. But there are still big groups of people that do not think
    of this as a problem at all, both young and old people. Since our country in most aspects is formally equal many people do not see the hidden barriers to equality. This makes solving of the problems much more difficult, as you have to start the process by making people aware of that there are problems to solve.

  • June 19 2001 Contribution of Lola Frutos Balibrea

    Equal pay and labour timetable organisation

    In Spain, women's salaries are perceptibly lower than men's ones, as it is shown in the Salaries in the Industry and Services Survey published by the Statistics National Institute. According to the information given by this poll, women earn monthly an average of 50.000 pesetas (300 Euro) less than men do.
    Probably that noticeable difference between genders is because the concentration of women's employment in devalued professional categories, even in the services sector. The growth of the services sector has taken in Spain less time than in the rest of the European countries. In 1985 it reached 50 per cent. The image of the economic sectors consists of a mainly masculine manufacture sector in the one hand, with an important share compared with the total employment, and in the other hand the services sector with a strong presence of women, except for the services given to companies. Another growing group is the public administration. The most usual professional destiny for women has been commerce and distribution, however the trend is growing weaker and weaker between the young people.
    Another interesting fact is that in the Region of Murcia we earn less than in the rest of Spain (for both genders), and the difference between men and women is more noticeable in Murcia. Especially the female Engineers and (Technical) Licentiates suffer the widest differences.
    There is discrimination against women when having the same personal characteristics as men have (qualification, capability and experience), women earn a lower salary doing the same work; but there is also practical discrimination if normally women are charged with "women's" tasks, that imply an economic disadvantage in their salary.
    In Spain there is sex discrimination in collective bargains. We have to take into account that the collective bargaining has the following characteristics: its decentralization (there are too many collective bargains) and its dissociation (they are applicable to very small fields). As a result, there is inequality between workers in the same economic sector. This is true especially for the services sector, where we find a higher number of women. The collective bargains in this sector only rule subjects as salary or working days, and they don't give importance to the situation of women in their field.
    There are four different types of collective bargains depending on the territorial field in which they are applicable:
    1. Provincial ones
    2. Provincial companies' ones
    3. National ones
    4. Interprovincial companies' ones
    There are many provincial collective bargains which refer to the "woman cleaner", whose salary is normally lower than the "unskilled workman's" one. Most of the collective bargains that set discriminatory classifications belong to the services sector (commerce, hotel business, sanitary centres and hospitalisation).
    In an empirical regional report that I made, published by the Economic and Social Council (LOLA FRUTOS BALIBREA (1997): El empleo visible de las mujeres en la Región de Murcia) I could verify that:
    § Women felt less discriminated in salaries in the public sector than in the private one.
    § They earned too little (more than 50 per cent earned less than 100.000 pesetas -601 Euro-), especially in the commerce sector and little companies (with a short number of workers).
    § Women sign part-time or permanent discontinuous contracts more often than men, which means that they work less hours than them. Women do not choose this option: the labour flexibility phenomenon, and more precarious labour conditions affect them because they are women. For instance, in the regional report there were 52.7 per cent of women that made extra working hours without being paid for them.
    § We discovered another interesting fact in the empirical regional report when we asked the female workers: 'Who earn more money in your company, in the same category?'. A great share of answers said that they didn't know the fact, and the general perception was that both genders earned the same. However, 11.7 per cent of the female workers stated that men of the same category in their company earned more than them. After the report, we could find that there was a noticeable relation between the salary discrimination and the industry, and on the contrary, no discrimination and the public administration.
    § In spite of the fact that the administration seems to be the employer that treats women in the best way, I could also find a high share of answers that showed the gender discrimination in the administrative institutions connected with hierarchy. The higher was the post, the less access possibilities there were for women. I could also confirm that in Murcia the share of women who monitor people who have responsibilities over other people was 6 per cent.
    § The awareness of labour discrimination in that report was higher in female university students, older women, self-employed women and those who have children.
    In Spain women spend less hours a day in the professional or academic work (2.2 hours) than men (5 hours). While the marital status or having children don't affect the number of hours for men, it affects so much women's one, because her time for training and labour activity is reduced.
    The professional way that leads to directive posts implies full time work, continuity at work, working more hours than it is established and geographical mobility. There are measures that make easier the permanence of women in their jobs, for example maternity leaves or kindergartens. Generally speaking, the access to directive and administrative posts takes place in the most productive years of the professional career, around 40 years old. That means that the period between 30 and 40 years old is crucial for potential directors to get experienced and to prove their knowledge in several jobs with more responsibility. For women, all of that coincides with fecundity years and children's growing as well as with the decadence of their parents and the responsibility of their care.
    That's why it would help women the possibility for either father or mother of taking the fixed time for children care. In Spain, women spend seven times more hours than men doing the household chores, and according to the numbers, the application of the law on shared household responsibilities has only be used by the mother in almost 100 per cent.
    The challenge consists of balancing the individual rights and social obligations of care: sharing the unpaid social care between men and women, reducing men's paid work and rising the time men spend with the family, rising the State services offer, etc.
    In my opinion, it would be an interesting legal initiative to set the obligatory leave for childcare for men. In countries like Spain, the "South culture" is very firmly rooted, I mean, the stereotypes of what men and women must do for being so. If the childcare leave is optional, it influences in the maintenance of those stereotypes. As the great sociologist Merton said, it is the prophecy that comes true itself, and that way nothing changes.
    In Spain, there is still social resistance against women's employment because of the impact it can make over the children. The society refuses to accept feminine demands of labour participation allowing the stereotypes being transmitted (for instance, that women are not as hard working, useful or available as men are because they have to assume family responsibilities), or allowing very high shares of women unemployment. Society doesn't excuse them from the family obligations as it does with men, and there it is the paradox of considering women's work a family abandonment, while the same men's work is valued as dedication and sacrifice.
    As men are supposed to have the obligation of working, they rely on women the responsibilities of family and household chores, considering female work not as obligation, but as something voluntary, especially in the poorest families. These problems are not so serious for women in medium class and well qualified.
    In a poll made by the CIS (Sociological Research Centre) in 1994, a 56 per cent of the interviewed people agreed on the following sentence: 'when the woman has a full-time job the family life suffers'. Sociological surveys with qualitative techniques showed men's opinions: if women like working, they must face the consequences. Some of them even consider women's work as an enjoyment instead of an effort, because if they are pleased it is because they are very relaxed.
    Analysing these answers, it seems that working in exchange for money is a new feminine therapy that makes life more satisfactory. We could think that women are privileged people who only take care of very nice, funny and amusing chores, in very comfortable surroundings, and who have little quantity of work and get tired only a little. That is why women may return home ready for starting with the household chores, which are waiting for them.
    Another problem is the devaluation of the housework. Even the feminist analysis has contributed to this devaluation when it has found in it the root of the discriminated and dependent condition of women. The application of new technologies to the houses has also contributed to that devaluation. Its prestige is so low that in the daily life conversation people identify the dedication to the household chores with "not to do anything". Women would like to do other things and men resist the idea of sharing this work. Maybe that is why women have decided to have very few children or postpone them (in Spain we have the lowest birth rate in the world). So, I think we should start developing obligation laws for men. If they had to take the paternal leave it would appear as normal their work taking care of children and not only as a responsibility for women.
    Another interesting aspect to achieve is the need to rule the situation of women properly in the collective bargains, there should be gender experts to avoid gender differences. The working conditions of a great number of women should be reviewed, for instance, those of women who work in the packaging of early products in the country of Cartagena and Murcia (Spain) related to big machines that move through the fields. Those women do a specialised work in which all they have learned in the house life about attention and care for the details is quite necessary for the final packing of the products that will be exported. However, their work reminds us more of taylorism (they are a machine appendix; it is the machine which impose the working rhythm) than of the post-industrial society. And of course their salaries do not consider the feminine qualification needed to do that work. That is why we call them internal markets, as ghettos for women (and other collectives, as emigrants). So, it is necessary to review the collective bargains with a gender perspective, and also the real application of them.

    Lola FRUTOS (Murcia)



  • 19 Junio 2001 Contribucíon de Lola Frutos Balibrea

    Igualdad de salarios y organización del horario laboral

    En España, los salarios de las mujeres son sensiblemente menores que los de los varones, y así lo refleja la Encuesta de Salarios en la Industria y en los Servicios, publicada por el INE. Según datos de esta encuesta una mujer gana por término medio 50.000 pesetas menos que los varones.
    Probablemente esa acentuada diferencia entre sexos se deba a la concentración del empleo femenino en categorías profesionales devaluadas, incluso dentro del sector servicios. El crecimiento del sector servicios en España se ha producido en menos tiempo que en el resto de los países de Europa. En 1985 se alcanzó la cifra del 50%. La imagen que se produce en la actualidad en cuanto a los sectores económicos es la de un sector manufacturero muy masculinizado, con un peso considerable en el total del empleo, y por otra parte, los servicios como un ámbito con fuerte presencia femenina, excepto en los servicios a las empresas. Otro grupo en clara expansión ha sido la administración pública. El destino profesional más común de las mujeres ha sido la el comercio y la distribución, sin embargo, la tendencia se debilita progresivamente entre los más jóvenes.
    Otro dato de interés es que si comparamos el total nacional con algunas comunidades como la nuestra- la Región de Murcia- comprobamos que se gana menos en Murcia que en España (para ambos sexos), pero la diferencia entre hombres y mujeres se acentúa más en Murcia.
    Otro dato de interés es que en el caso de las Ingenieras y Licenciadas (técnicas), sobe todo en Murcia más que en el resto de España, es donde aparecen las mayores diferencias.
    Habrá discriminación en contra de la mujer cuando poseyendo las mismas características personales que un hombre en cuanto a cualificación, capacidad, experiencia, percibe un salario menor realizando el mismo trabajo; pero también se dará discriminación en la práctica si se encarga distinto contenido de tareas "para mujeres", que conllevan desventaja para ellas en lo que a remuneración se refiere.
    En nuestro país, en los convenios colectivos se da discriminación por sexo. Hay que tener en cuenta que la negociación tiene como características, su descentralización (hay un número excesivo de convenios) y su desarticulación (se aplican a un ámbito muy reducido). Como consecuencia se dan situaciones de agravio entre trabajadores de un mismo sector económico. Especialmente se da en el sector servicios, en el que predominan las mujeres. Se trata de convenios que se reducen a regular temas salariales y de jornada, y que no otorgan importancia a la situación de la mujer en sus ámbitos de aplicación.
    En función del ámbitos de aplicación territorial existen cuatro tipos de convenios:
    1. Provincial
    2. De empresa provincial
    3. Nacional
    4. De empresa interprovincial.
    En muchos convenios de ámbito provincial se mantiene la referencia a la "limpiadora" o "mujer de la limpieza", cuyo salario generalmente es inferior al del "peón" y "mozo". La mayoría de los convenios que contienen clasificaciones discriminatorias pertenecen al sector servicios (comercio, hostelería, centros sanitarios y hospitalización).
    En un estudio empírico que realicé, de ámbito regional que está publicado por el Consejo Económico y Social (LOLA FRUTOS BALIBREA (1997): El empleo visible de las mujeres en la Región de Murcia), constaté que :
    - las mujeres se sentían menos discriminadas en cuanto a salarios en el sector público que en el privado,
    - En general cobraban muy poco (más del 50% cobraba menos de 100.000 pesetas), especialmente las del sector de Comercio y de pequeñas empresas en cuanto al número de empleados.
    - Las mujeres se ven afectadas en mayor medida que los varones por los contratos a tiempo parcial o fijo discontinuo, por lo que trabajan menos horas. Ello no es una opción querida por las mujeres sino que por el hecho de ser mujeres se ven afectadas por el fenómeno de la flexibilidad laboral y por condiciones de trabajo más precarias. Así, por ejemplo, en el estudio regional había un 52,7% de mujeres que realizaban horas extraordinarias que no se las pagaban.
    - Un dato muy interesante que se desprendía del estudio empírico regional es que al preguntar a las trabajadoras ¿Quién gana mas dinero en su empresa, dentro de la misma categoría?, si bien había un gran porcentaje de respuestas que no sabían este dato, y la percepción generalizada era que ambos sexos ganaban lo mismo, sin embargo, un 11,7% de las trabajadoras aseguraban que en sus empresas ganaban más los hombres que ellas en la misma categoría. Tras realizar cruces de variables obtuvo gran asociación significativa entre el sentimiento de discriminación salarial y la industria, frente al de no discriminación en la administración.
    - A pesar de que la administración parece el lugar que mejor trata a las mujeres también encontré un elevado porcentaje de respuesta que apuntaba hacia la discriminación por género en las instituciones administrativas ligadas a la jerarquía, en el sentido de que cuanto más alto es el puesto menos posibilidades de acceso a él tienen las mujeres. En el estudio constaté que la proporción de mujeres en Murcia que supervisa a personas que a su vez tienen responsabilidades sobre otras personas era de un 6%.
    - La conciencia de discriminación laboral en el estudio que realicé era mayor en el caso de las universitarias, las de más edad, las trabajadora autónomas y las que tienen hijos.
    Si bien en España las mujeres dedican menos horas diarias al trabajo profesional y académico (2,2 horas) que los varones (5 horas) y, mientras que el estado civil o tener hijos no hace variar el presupuesto temporal de los varones, sí lo hace, y mucho, el de las mujeres ya que se reduce su tiempo de dedicación a la formación o a la actividad.
    El camino que lleva a puestos directivos pasa por el trabajo a tiempo completo, la continuidad en el empleo, el trabajar más horas de las establecidas y la movilidad geográfica. Entre las medidas que facilitan la permanencia de las mujeres en sus trabajos se encuentran los períodos reglamentarios por maternidad, así como la existencia de guarderías que puedan ser cómodamente pagadas por las familias. En términos generales, el acceso a los puestos de dirección y administración tiene lugar en los años más productivos de la carrera profesional de los trabajadores, es decir alrededor de los 40 años. Ello significa que el periodo 30-40 es crucial para que los directivos en potencia puedan obtener experiencia y demostrar sus conocimientos en una variada serie de trabajos con más responsabilidad. En el caso de las mujeres coinciden con los años de la fecundidad y crianza de los hijos, y con la decadencia de los progenitores y la responsabilidad de su cuidado.
    Por ello, un aspecto que ayudaría más a las mujeres es la posibilidad de que tanto el padre como la madre puedan utilizar el tiempo estipulado para el cuidado de los niños. En España, las mujeres pasan siete veces más horas haciendo trabajo doméstico que los hombres, y según los datos que disponemos en nuestro país, la aplicación de la ley sobre las responsabilidades familiares compartidas ha sido utilizada sólo por la madre, en casi el cien por cien de los casos.
    El reto planteado consiste en lograr un equilibrio entre los derechos individuales y las obligaciones sociales de la atención: compartir los servicios de atención no remunerados entre hombres y mujeres, reducir el tiempo de trabajo remunerado de los hombres y aumentar el tiempo que dedican a la familia, aumentar la oferta de servicios del Estado, etc.
    Una iniciativa legislativa interesante me parece que podría ser el poner obligatorio para los hombres el permiso para cuidar al hijo, pues en países como el nuestro en el que está muy arraigada "la cultura del sur", con todos los estereotipos relacionados con lo que deben hacer los hombres y las mujeres, el poner opcional el permiso de tal forma que si lo toman los hombres se le resta a las mujeres y no ser obligatorio para ellos, influye en el mantenimiento de los propio estereotipos. Como señalaba el gran sociólogo Merton se trata de la profecía que se cumple a si misma, y claro así casi nada cambia.
    En España todavía hay resistencias sociales que se oponen a que trabaje la mujer, basadas en el impacto que pueda tener sobre los hijos. La sociedad se resiste a las demandas femeninas de participación laboral, y lo hace permitiendo que se transmitan los estereotipos de que las mujeres no son trabajadoras tan útiles ni tan disponibles como los hombres en razón de que han de dedicarse a sus responsabilidades familiares y permitiendo al mismo tiempo que se mantengan unas elevadísimas tasas de desempleo femenino. La sociedad no las exime de obligaciones familiares como a los hombres y ahí radica la paradoja de otorgar al trabajo femenino la idea de abandono familiar cuando el mismo trabajo se valora en los hombres como entrega y sacrificio.
    Los hombres como tienen obligación de trabajar dejan a las mujeres la responsabilidad de las tareas familiares y domésticas, considerando su trabajo no como obligación sino como algo voluntario, especialmente en las familias más pobres. Estos problemas se plantean en un grado inferior en los casos en los que las mujeres pertenecen a clases medias y bien cualificadas.
    En una encuesta del año 1994 realizada por el CIS, el 56% de los entrevistados estaban de acuerdo con esta frase: "cuando la mujer tiene un trabajo de jornada completa la vida familiar se resiente". Las opiniones de los varones, reflejadas en estudios sociológicos con técnicas cualitativas, vienen a decir que si a ellas les gusta trabajar pues que hagan frente a las consecuencias, incluso algunos llegan muy lejos y valoran como disfrute en lugar de esfuerzo el trabajo de ellas, pues si están contentas será porque se encuentran muy relajadas.
    Analizando estas respuestas parece que trabajar por dinero es una nueva terapia femenina que ayuda a encontrar más satisfactoria la vida; podríamos pensar que las mujeres son unas privilegiadas que se ocupan sólo de tareas muy agradables, divertidas y entretenidas, en ambientes muy cómodos, que tienen poca carga de trabajo y que se cansan poco; con lo cual vuelven a su casa de refresco para ocuparse de las tareas domésticas que les esperan.
    Un problema añadido es la desvalorización de lo doméstico. Incluso el análisis feminista ha contribuido a ello (al ver en él, la raíz de la condición discriminada y dependiente de las mujeres). La aplicación de nuevas tecnologías a los hogares también ha contribuido a desvalorizar el trabajo doméstico. Tan bajo es su prestigio que muy frecuentemente, en la conversación cotidiana se identifica la dedicación al trabajo doméstico como "no hacer nada". Las mujeres desean hacer otras cosas, y los hombres son reacios a compartir estos trabajos. Quizá por ello las mujeres han decidido tener muy pocos hijos o postergarlos (En España la tasa de fecundidad es la más baja del mundo). Por todo ello me parece que habría que empezar a legislar con un carácter obligatorio para los varones. Al tomar el permiso de paternidad se vería como algo normal el trabajo de atender al cuidado de los niños y no sólo como responsabilidad de las mujeres.
    Otro aspecto que sería interesante abordar es el que en la negociación colectiva se contemplara de forma correcta la situación de las mujeres, que hubiera personas expertas en género para evitar el sesgo masculino. Por poner un ejemplo, sería conveniente revisar las condiciones de trabajo de muchas mujeres que llevan a cabo el envasado de productos tempranos en el Campo de Cartagena y de Murcia en conexión con grandes máquinas que se trasladan por los campos. Las mujeres realizan un trabajo de especialización en el que todo lo aprendido en el mundo privado de atención y cuidado por los detalles es muy necesario para el envasado final de los productos destinados a la exportación. Sin embargo su trabajo tiene más que ver con el taylorismo (son un apéndice de la máquina, que impone los ritmos de trabajo) que con la sociedad postindustrial y desde luego sus salarios no reconocen la cualificación femenina necesaria para llevar a cabo este trabajo. Por todo ello, hablamos de mercados internos, como guettos para mujeres (y también para otros colectivos, como los emigrantes). Así mismo es necesario revisar los convenios colectivos con una perspectiva de género y sobre todo la aplicación real de los mismos.

    Lola FRUTOS (Murcia)

  • June 25 2001 Contribution of Julie Parrish

    Women's enjoyment of careers plummets

    Tania Branigan
    Wednesday June 13, 2001
    The Guardian

    Women's satisfaction with their careers is plummeting because they receive such little support at work and home, new research suggests. Only 9% of all working women in the UK said they would work full time if they had a choice,
    according to a survey out today. Another study, to be published tomorrow, claims that just 29% are happy with the hours they put into their jobs. A decade ago, the majority were satisfied. As female employees begin to break through the glass ceiling, many take on extra responsibility at work while still shouldering heavy responsibilities at home.
    Nearly half of all working women have children under five. Tellingly, 68% of women said they could enjoy working if that was all they had to do. But 60% of full time employees said they did most of the household chores and more than 90% of working mothers said they still bore most of the burden of childcare. More than half of those interviewed said their companies made no allowances for women with children. Only 5% said firms offered a creche to employees. The survey of 5,000 working women was carried out for Top Santé magazine in association with Bupa. Its findings are reinforced by a study of working hours carried out for the Economic and Social Research Council, which will be presented to the annual
    conference of Acas, the conciliation service, tomorrow. The survey of 2,500 employees found that men and women were increasingly disillusioned with their careers. The results were compared with an earlier study. In 1992, 35% of male employees were very or completely satisfied with their hours, but by this year that had dropped to 20%. Although their female counterparts were keener, they were also losing enthusiasm much more rapidly; in 1992, 51% were satisfied with their work, but in the new survey only 29% said they were satisfied. The majority of staff said they worked long hours because it was expected of them rather than to earn more money. "Time, not money, is for many the barrier to enjoying a richer life," said Michael White of the Policy Studies Institute, which produced the research with a team from the ondon
    School of Economics. He added: "Employee motivation will continue to ebb away unless employers wake up to the new reality." Dissatisfied employees are twice as likely as their more contented colleagues to look for a new job and much less willing to put in extra effort at work. A survey carried out for the Department for Education and Employment in ovember last year found that most men, as well as women, wanted more flexible arrangements such as job sharing and a reduced working week. The government is considering proposals giving working mothers the right to work reduced hours for up to a year after their child's birth. o Children do better at school, are less likely to be involved in crime and have better social skills if fathers as well as mothers are involved in their upbringing, a study said yesterday. What Good Are Dads? was compiled from hundreds of research projects on families by Charlie Lewis, a professor and psychologist at Lancaster University.

POLITICAL MENTORING THEMES

May 02 2001 Relationships between political and personal life

From a French partner
Hello, I have a question to ask : I wonder if the reason of the so low number of women who enter politics is due to the timetable. In fact, in France or in Italy the work of a deputy occurred late at night and it seems impossible to have a normal family life. I should like to know if it is the same in your country or if the political life is more adapt. I thank you for your answer.
Best regards.


June 19 2001 Questions for mentors

What pushed you at the beginning to enter in politics?
Friends, passion, family?
And...at what age did you start?

CONTRIBUTIONS TO POLITICAL MENTORING THEMES

  • May 02 2001 Contribution from Madeleine Petrovic.

    It is true that it is rather difficult to combine a political top career with family life. But I cannot see why it should always be the task of women to organize family work. I became a member of Parliament in 1990 - my daughters were born in 1989 and in 1991. I regard my work for human rights, for environmental protection and animal rights as part of my way of taking care of my children and of so many children and people in the world who are looking for a sustainable future. For me there is no difference between my private sphere and my public function. I wonder why hardly anybody seems to care whether all the men in politics have no problems in arranging their family lives - from a gender perspective I would recommend all women who want to work as politicians to do so and not to have a bad conscience for mostly not being at home!
    Madeleine Petrovic.
  • May 03 2001 Contribution from Martina Malyar

    It`s the same in Austria (Vienna); political duties are not compatible to a super family life - but for men and women!! So the timetable of politicians is against family life itself. Women and men in politics need a social net for their families, especially when there are also children in family. My net are: mother, husband, school, kindergarten, sister, sisters-in-law, nannies, a woman for cleaning the house. I coordinate in advance and in day-by-day-management these helping persons of my net. Without it it would be unpossible to be a politician. Men usually have their wives for managing family and children. But I know more and more young mothers in politics managing carreer and family-life, and they enrich politics very much. I am happy that we become more and more!!
    Martina Malyar
  • May 14 2001 Contribution from Marie Litholm, Groupleder of the Christian democrats in the community of Haninge (Sweden)

    Hi, You have got a point, when you between the lines say that women give
    priority to familylife. Sweden are however rather equal footed and men are
    taking more and more part of the household and taking care of the children.
    This means that women have more time for a commission of trust.
    In our community som of our meetings are in the afternoon, but most of
    them are between 5 pm and 8 pm. Only a few lasts until 9.30 pm and there
    is the "dead-line"
    Marie Litholm
  • May 28 2001 Contribution from Anna Attergren Granath

    In Sweden you do not work as a politician. You do political meetings after
    work in the evenings. Gender Equality for me means sharing the
    responsibility for taking care of the children. My husband has been together
    with our children as much as I have.
    I hope this was an answer to your question.
    Best regards,
    Anna

  • July 10 2001 Contribution of Louise Malmström, ABF Norrköping, Sweden

    About time, women and politics

    I know this is a late answer, but I have a few reflections over a question that one of the partners asked in May. She wondered if the reason that few women enter politics is the timetable and the fact that many political meetings take place late nights which makes normal family life impossible.
    I think the lack of women in politics has a lot to do with time problems, especially when it comes to young women. If you study the women that are involved in politics locally in Norrköping, you will find that they very often are unmarried, have no kids, and if they have kids they are grown up. There are very few mothers of small children that are willing to offer so many evenings per week as it takes to work politically.
    Some political meetings here in Norrköping take place in daytime. This means that even women with families can join political work, as most of us in Sweden are working and have day care for our children. But then there is another problem, the civil work. If you have a job where your colleges gets in to an unpleasant situation every time you are away from work, you are trapped anyway, even if you are economically compensated for less income these days. This is sometimes even worse than to be away from your kids some nights a week.
    I have a two years old daughter and work almost full time with politics. Many of my evenings are occupied and sometimes she sleeps when I leave the house in the morning and sleeps when I get home at night. I try to compensate this in weekends, holidays and long vacations (which I have now!) and spends most of my time then with her. But this would of course never work if her father did not take his full responsibility for her when it's not vacation or weekend.
    I think there is a lot that can be done to better adapt political life to family life. Making it easier to bring children to political meetings is
    one example. But here, as well as on other areas, I think it is even more a matter of attitude and a problem with equality when it comes to sharing house work and caring of the children. Why is there otherwise possible for men with families to enter politics under todays ircumstances?