Women in action / We are ruled by misogyny

The “naturalization” of gender inequality, the justification and “moral” legalization of femicide as well as the circumvention of women’s rights and the self-determination of their bodies are hidden in the statements of the psychiatrist, Deputy Minister of Health Dimitris Vartzopoulos.

“In all fauna, in every form of living being, the male is always more aggressive, because he is the one who in nature looks for food (…). The female is for other jobs, to tick”, “so it is the nature of things for the male to be the aggressor, therefore the concept of femicide has an ideological basis”.

But it is not only the legalization of femicides that is attempted through a completely anachronistic interpretation of the “naturalness” of inequalities. It also supports the banishment of women from the public sphere to the prison of the private. Samples of writing were seen from the beginning, when in 2019 K. Mitsotakis declared that “the basic chores at home are done by the housewife”.

These perceptions that dominate the neoconservative and far-right circles of the alt right seek for women to return to the home to take on the “other jobs” and especially the one job, “to tick”. The notion that the female body is a reproduction machine and the task of the female existence is the perpetuation of the species is thus reintroduced into the public debate. In these obscurantist statements lies the questioning of the self-determination of the female body. All women can expect from the right-wing government that supports these statements is the continued rollback of their hard-won human rights.

They “sacrifice” women for the votes of the Far Right

The government “embraced” Dimitris Vartzopoulos and the government representative covered for him, even though he repeated in his clarifying statements that “feminicide has a biological basis”. Pavlos Marinakis said that he spoke in his scientific capacity (and therefore those who did not understand him are ignorant) and attacked Stefanos Kasselakis who asked for his dismissal. The argument of “scientific interpretation” was put forward in defense of Vartzopoulos by the Minister of Justice Giorgos Floridis.

With such perceptions dominating the government, far-right discourse is “normalized” and they become the best helpers of fascist formations. But at least let them not trumpet that they are saddened when women are murdered even outside police stations and there is not a single patrol car to protect them…

Strong were the reactions from SYRIZA-P.S. and the progressive parties. The secretary of SYRIZA-P.S. accused the prime minister of “wild votes” from the Far Right. Rania Svigou, underlining that the statements of the deputy minister take us back to the previous century, “to the dark times of biology, eugenics and Lombroso”.

The coordinator of the Feminist Policy Department of SYRIZA-P.S. Fotini Kouvela expressed her disgust, stressing that “at a time when we women are fighting for the obvious, even for our survival, it is shameful for an institutional member of the government to biologically justify the act of femicide”. “No Vartzopoulos will… give a line to femininities how to manage their body, personality and psyche” said the first vice-president of the Equality Committee Elena Akrita.

“If I go out alone, I’m a whore / If I’m having fun, I’m the biggest whore / If I come home after dawn / I’m even more of a whore. When I get what I want / it’s never because I deserve it / And even if I conquer the world / nobody appreciates it, not for a second.” The song “Zorra” by Nebulossa is Spain’s Eurovision entry. Despite the reactions it caused even within the feminist movement, it is an anthem against patriarchy and sexist stereotypes.

“They often called me zorra. This song is a way to transform that word into something beautiful” said its performer Maria Bass (RTVE). The song re-signifies the word by removing the insult through its re-appropriation. Besides, it’s not the first time. French intellectuals had stirred the waters in 1971 by signing the manifesto on abortion as “343 salopes”.

In October 2024 Gérard Depardieu will finally be tried for two sexual assaults he allegedly committed in September 2021, during the filming of the film “Les volets verts” (The Green Shutters). The prosecutor in his statement said: “In addition, J. Depardieu is being investigated (in another case) for the crimes of rape and sexual assault allegedly committed in August 2018 against Charlotte Arnold.” Actress Ellen Daras had also denounced the actor, but the statute of limitations had passed. Depardieu has also been accused of sexually assaulting more than a dozen women. He denies the accusations and claims that any relationships he had were consensual (BBC).

Estelle Sylvia Pankhurst was a journalist, activist, leader of the Suffragettes in Britain, one of the pioneers fighting for the right to vote. In 1908 he attempted to enter the British Parliament to deliver a resolution and was imprisoned. It was also an important form of the communist and anti-fascist-anti-colonial movement. He was born on May 5, 1882.