The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched an Equality Action Plan 2024-2027, as part of its effort to improve the conditions under which the Ministry’s workforce carries out its mission –namely the protection and promotion of Greece’s interests. The plan was presented at an event titled “Institutional Initiatives for Gender Equality”, held in November in the presence of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Türk.

The “GNCHR Report on the Status of Women in Greece” was also presented during the event, which was co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR).

In his welcoming speech, Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis underlined the key-role of cross-cutting policies in achieving substantive equality and protecting persons belonging to vulnerable and underrepresented groups. This philosophy is also the basis of the “Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Equality Action Plan 2024–2027”. As the Minister pointed out, “our vision is to reach a point of understanding where no Action Plan is required because inequality will no longer have a place. Self-evident equality policies that are inherent in the value of the human being will be so embedded that no action on the part of the state authorities will be required”.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Teresa-Paraskevi Angelatou, noted that the Ministry’s very good performance on gender equality issues “gives us the motivation to strive even more for a Foreign Ministry that is representative of the Greek society as a whole, always for the benefit of our country’s interests”. More specifically, she said that women make up 50.5% of the total MFA staff, while 46% of them hold positions of responsibility in the Central Service. At the same time, Mrs. Angelatou stressed that the challenges now extend to issues of violence and harassment, reconciliation of work and family/personal life and multiple discrimination based on disability, age, sexual orientation, etc.

Equality Action Plan 2024–2027

The Head of the Unit for Equality of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spyridon-Heracles Aktypis, presented the main axes and priorities of the Action Plan, aiming at a safe and creative working environment.

The Action Plan, developed by the Unit for Equality, under the Office of the Secretary General, is built upon three fundamental values that underpin the work of the MFA’s human resource management: equality before the law, dignity and inclusion, demonstrated through respect for diversity. It comprises a total of 39 distinct actions set to be implemented over a four-year period, addressing various aspects of the Ministry’s employees’ daily routine and their work performance.

The Plan includes actions ranging from expanding the workforce, addressing stereotypes and outdated attitudes through staff training programs, establishing “Equality Liaisons” and adopting gender-inclusive language, to the implementation of specific measures to prevent violence and harassment in the workplace, and protecting employees’ mental health –for example by hiring a workplace psychologist. Issues faced by other groups vulnerable to discrimination, namely people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, as well as LGBTQI+ employees and their family members, are also being tackled.

detailed timeline is in place to monitor and evaluate the effective implementation of the Action Plan, with the flexibility to adapt as challenges arise. For the Plan to succeed, it requires the participation of all MFA staff and close cooperation between the Ministry and various institutions of the public sector.

As Mr. Aktypis also noted in his presentation, all actions contribute also to the “brain-gain” efforts, in alignment with the National Demographic Action Plan. By ensuring a workplace where young people feel safe and creative, the aim is to make the Ministry of Foreign Affairs an attractive work environment.

GNCHR Report on the Status of Women in Greece

The GNCHR, represented by its President, Professor Maria Gavouneli, and Research Officer, Katerina Charokopou, presented the “GNCHR Report on the Status of Women in Greece”. The Report updates, in a single reference text, the positions of the Commission on the situation of women in our country, as a useful guide for the State authorities, the legislature, the Administration, law enforcement bodies, field professionals, researchers, and all stakeholders involved.

At the same time, the GNCHR Report highlights the key areas where the most violations of women’s rights are identified, collects statistical data, and groups a large number of recommendations to the State by thematic category. For the preparation of this report, the GNCHR utilized all qualitative and quantitative research tools, such as Opinions, Proposals, Reports, Recommendations, Conclusions, and Findings, within the framework of cooperation with State bodies, Civil Society, and European and International Organizations.

MFA Equality Action Plan 2024-2027:

https://www.mfa.gr/media/2024/11/MFA_Equality_Action_Plan_2024-2027.pdf

GNCHR Report on the Status of Women in Greece:

https://nchr.gr/images/pdf/apofaseis/isothta_fullwn/KATASTASI_GYNAIKON.pdf

TAGS: GOVERNMENT & POLITICS