ESF-Athens 2006: the women’s movements

In the framework of the 4th ESF in Athens representatives of many women’s organizations and collectivities actively took part in many and different events. Some of the most interesting seminars and workshops were focused on: neo-liberal capitalism and the consequences for women’s lives and working conditions, women’s rights and feminist strategies in Eastern and Central Europe countries, women and the “Bolkestein Directive”, violence.

Delegates from all around Europe participated and contributed the women’s events with interesting speeches, discussions and materials. Bojura Pavlova from Gender education, research and technologies foundation - Bulgaria participated in the seminar "The struggle of the women against gender violence". This Bulgarian intervention was part of real experience, main problems concerning violence and sharing examples of good practice.

The main topics

The main topics discussed during the seminars ranged a broad spectrum of important everyday problems of women such as:

 Discrimination against women at the job market and need for further education and training. Despite of their high level of education women more often occupy less prestigious and low-paid positions, so called "glass ceiling" phenomena, unequal distribution of family responsibilities between men and women, that has fostered women’s "double burden" in the economy outside the house.

 Women and children are among the most vulnerable to poverty. Women tend to face higher unemployment, lower real income, a gender gap in wages, loss of formal childcare support, increased violence and deterioration in health, women are still, the first victims of inequality, injustice and suffering, public or private violence, human trafficking and religious fundamentalism.

 Neo-liberalism in East Europe, or the so called "Jurassic park" of capitalism is determined with criminalisation of business in the countries with economies in transition in the context of women’s status. A big part of women’s work is invisible to economic decision-makers, particularly the unpaid childcare work and the participation in the informal labour and home-based workers labour. Women involved in these sectors still do not realise they have the right to unite and create organizations, there is no control from the state and trade unions do not pay enough attention to their rights.

The Women Assembly

The culmination of all these activities was Women’s Assembly on 6th of May. There were representatives of hundreds organizations, trade unions, networks and all kind of women collectives from all around Europe, but also from Israel, Palestine, Turkey, and Africa and Latin America.

All speakers declared:

 they can see evolution in their work after uniting and building of a combative and strong women’s movement in the East and West, North and South of Europe;
 it is necessary to involve more young women in the active women movement;
 women have to build active solidarity between women’s groups in Europe and in the rest of the world;
 women’s movements have to work towards a world peace and are obligated to unify their struggle against discriminations and wars.

The assembly was opened with one minute of silence in memory of the women - victims of violence, war and conflicts. All participants signed the document supporting journalist Amala convicted because of her fight against militarism and gender equality struggle.

A European Manifesto was presented during the Women’s Assembly –it was a final statement that reported some problems and proposals that came up during the seminars and workshops. The target of the manifesto was to underline some of basic women’s demands which called for convergent campaigns throughout Europe until next forum. "Let’s change Europe, let’s change the world!"

Conclusions

ESF – 2006 was a great opportunity to exchange ideas and to brainstorm between the networks, groups and movements. Women’s voices were raised, regarding the need to "break the silence", to straighten the partnerships, to apply the best practices for European legal framework in order to solve problems through harmonisation of the legislations.

It was recommended to collect and process reliable and comparable research data and information on women’s problems and disseminate it in order to find solutions at regional and European levels. Women have to continue to reinforce their efforts in promotion of gender equality as a key element in all partnerships and national development strategies.