He attributed the advice of his daughter Prime Minister the idea of ​​working with his staff on public policy related to “the women’s cycle and menopause, as other countries do,” speaking in an interview with Eleonora Meleti and the Mega Calimera show last week. He cited the extra cost women incur every month buying feminine hygiene products, adding that “we’ll have something exciting to announce soon.” Of course, it’s no coincidence that he decided to pose “women’s question” in a show aimed at a female audience. Just a day before this interview was aired, the gynecological control authorization measure that had been in place for years in the public sector was extended to the private sector by regulation.

Let’s admit that the prime minister’s public reference to menstruation was unexpected by Greek standards, but a welcome originality. But public policy for women means much more than a “skip period,” comment the three directly concerned, by nature and position. OUR Stella Kasdagliauthor and co-founder of the non-profit organization Women On Top (for women’s empowerment and professional equality), author Vivian Stergiou and CEO of Home Project Sofia Kuvelaki they see the prime minister’s mention of women’s needs as an opportunity to start a public discussion about the needs of a society that includes women. Stop whispering about what’s going on in a woman’s body as something to hide (for ease of discussion, we’ll use the names of the three women we’ve reached out to).

“To begin with, VAT on feminine hygiene products can be reduced, they should not be considered a luxury item,” says Stella, referring to the possibility of providing women with “aid” to help them meet the monthly cost of buying sanitary napkins. “A cheaper sanitary napkin is nothing to be happy about,” adds Vivian. “Let people be paid well, and women, of course, as well as their male counterparts, and we will have money to pay them,” he notes. And after all menstruation leave was established. “In which private company would a female manager, if she succeeded in reaching this position, say, ‘I can’t come today because I’m on my period? Vivian is surprised. “There is no such case,” Sophia immediately answers. “We are talking about an ideal world. Many women are unable to get out of bed because of the pain and do not even think to bring up this topic,” she explains. “And if they did, what consequences could this “confession” have,” Vivian goes even further than the ban.

“To begin with, feminine hygiene products can be reduced in VAT, they should not be considered a luxury item.”

Pregnancy

And that’s fine as long as you’re on your period. But what if you stop eating either because you’re about to get pregnant or because you’re going through menopause? “In the world of work, we all know that in many cases the law is not enforced. Women who can get pregnant are not hired or fired once they get pregnant,” explains Vivian. Sophia adds that “there is no policy that protects women as creators of life” and Stella explains that the data shows that Greece is in last place in Europe in terms of gender equality. “It is positive that a male politician speaks publicly about women’s issues. But we need to address a lot of painful issues so that we can then plan policies that will bring results,” he says. “It would be wiser if all this began to be discussed in schools. “Children will laugh two or three times, but then it will become “normal” and they will treat it as such when they grow up,” suggests Vivian.

The issue of permission to conduct gynecological examinations has a real basis. “Indeed, there is an increased need for more tests for women. Their reproductive system is functioning at an earlier age, and they need to see doctors more often,” says Stella. “However, the need for prevention is something that should be extended to the entire population, not just women.” Vivian believes that any measures should be presented to the public, and not to specific target groups, such as, for example, “In a show that women watch, I mention something about women.”

“When you say that I offer a vacation for women, a man will immediately think that he will not get a vacation. The point is to make society think that if someone is not feeling well, the team cannot work properly,” he explains. “If the prime minister cares about women, let’s start talking about all women’s issues,” she concludes.