How much did the pandemic affect this already fragile balance? How can this inequality be changed and what can we do as individuals?
Moderator: May Zanni, Political Analyst and President of Women Act
Experts:
Maria Syrengela, Deputy Minister for Demographic Policy, Family and Gender Equality, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
Marianna Skylakaki, Publisher - Economist
Zefi Dimadama, Lecturer in the Department of International, European and Regional Studies, Panteion University, Vice-President of PES Women (Party of European Socialists).
Available to watch it for free from 28/9/21 until 5/10/21.
Inequality between men and women in life and work still exists to a greater or lesser extent worldwide. Inequality in job opportunities, financial rewards and opportunities for development prevails in most countries of the world and this is reflected even in the public sphere, in the business world and in the Boards of Organisations, since the ratio of men and women in “key” positions is still uneven and in many cases even non-existent.
Labour inequality also has implications in social life. At the same time, social stereotypes and the role of women as wives and mothers have an impact on their career. This creates a vicious circle in which women are trapped worldwide. In fact, when a generalised crisis occurs such as the economic downturn or the recent pandemic, female workers seem to be more vulnerable and much more affected.
Why is this happening? How important is to change these standards for society, the future of the world and the economy? How much did the pandemic affect this already fragile balance? How can this inequality be changed and what can we do as individuals? How is the new paternal role formed with the new standards of our country including paternity leave and joint custody?
In this ExpertTalk, Political Analyst and President of Women Act, May Zanni, discusses the most timely issue of equality with Deputy Minister for Demographic Policy, Family and Gender Equality of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Maria Syrengela, Publisher and Economist, Marianna Skylakaki and Lecturer in the Department of International, European and Regional Studies of Panteion University and Vice-President of PES Women (Party of European Socialists), Zefi Dimadama.
May Zanni is a political scientist currently working as a Special Advisor at the Secretariat of the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic. She is the President and Co-founder of Women Act, a Greek NGO on empowering women in leadership positions in the public sphere. May was born in Athens, Greece and then moved to the United Kingdom where she obtained her BA in History and Politics from Queen Mary College, University of London, her MSc in European Politics from BirkbeckCollege, University of London and her MSc in Politics of Empire and Post-Imperialism from the London School of Economics. She has interned at the House of Commons in London, the European Parliament in Brussels and UNESCO in Paris. May worked in Brussels for the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) and in Paris for the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Upon her return to Greece she was employed as an advisor to the Minister for Justice, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and then worked as a political analyst in the private sector. May was the Deputy International Secretary of New Democracy from 2011-2016 and since then is the Deputy Secretary of Strategic Planning & Communication of New Democracy. In 2011 she represented Greece at the State Department IVLP program “Women in Public Service”. In 2012 she completed the Harvard John F Kennedy School of Government program “Public Leaders in SouthEastEurope” in Istanbul, Turkey. She has one daughter, Olympia.
Maria Syrengela is the Deputy Minister for Demographic Policy, Family and Gender Equality of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
She was Secretary General of Family Policy and Gender Equality from July 2019 until January 2021 and is Vice President of the European’s People Party (EPP Women). She was vice president of KETHI (Research Center for Gender Equality) from 2013 until March 2015.
She was also Vice-President of YEPP (Youth of the European People's Party), from 2001 to 2005 and YEPP Representative in the Western Balkan Democracy Initiative and the Southeastern European Forum at the same time, while she was a member of the General Assembly of ONNED, as head of International Relations, from 2001 to 2004 and in K.E. from 1998 to 2005.
Maria Syrengela has served in key positions, both in the private and public sector, specialising mainly in human resources.
She is a graduate of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Kapodistrian University of Athens, holding a master's degree in Service Management for Executives from the Athens University of Economics, with a master thesis in New Public Management. She speaks English, French and Turkish.
Maria Syrengela is married to Civil Engineer, Fotis Kyriakopoulos, and she’s mother of two children, Vassilis and Konstantinos.
Marianna Skylakaki is an economist, publisher and editor in chief of athiNEA, the award-winning Greek online media outlet that has its eyes on the future. She studied Economics and Political Science at the University of Bristol and holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration (MPA in Public Policy & Management) from the London School of Economics. She began her career in London, where she worked as an analyst in the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs for three years. She returned to Athens and founded athiNEA, in 2014, addressed to a wide audience of active and demanding Greek-speaking readers who were looking for information closer to their own interests. She is a regular contributor to the Greek press as a political and economic analyst and has gained significant experience in moderating discussions at conferences and seminars in Greece and abroad. She also works as a consultant in matters of finance and public administration, with special experience in projects in the field of tourism, agri-food and clustering.
Dr. Zefi Dimadama is a Teaching Staff (EDIP) at the Department of International, European and Regional Studies at Panteion University and she holds a Doctorate (PhD) and Postgraduate Diploma (Msc) in the field of “Regional Development and Environmental Policies”.
She was a Fellow of the State Scholarship Foundation (IKY) for the preparation of a doctoral dissertation.
She was Director General of International Centre for Black sea Studies and has a significant presence in International Forums and scientific contribution to research activities in the field of Economics and the Environment and has participated in research activities on European environmental policies and climate change (Germany, Belgium, UK).
She is the author of a monograph entitled “Economy, Development, Environment. Theoretical Approaches and Policies for Sustainable Development »[2008, Papazisis Publications, Athens] and participates in individual and collective scientific publications in Greek and international publications.
She is active internationally on issues related to Regional Development, Economy and the Environment and on issues gender equality issues.
Zefi Dimadama is a member of the “European Urban Research Association” (EURA), a member of the “Economic Chamber of Greece” and the “Association of Greek Regions”.
