Women's Department of Synaspismos womens_dept@syn.gr

Principles and goals

The women members of the Department are inspired by the idea that genders are equal in their difference, that gender equality is a fundamental human right.
They believe that the struggle to achieve equality is of great political importance, because gender equality:

• broadens democracy
• civilizes politics
• liberates women's potential
• is a precondition of sustainable development

The Department takes permanent care to incorporate gender equality into all policies of SYN, so that the party's physiognomy may be permeated by the principles and the strategic goals of feminism. At the same time the Department directs its activities towards incorporating the dimension of equality into the institutions of democracy and society.

Framework of its activities are the following axes:

• equal participation of women in decision taking centers
• equal opportunities for employment, education, training, retraining
• fighting against unemployment and against the marginalization of women
• combating violence exercised against women, which constitutes a mechanism of social control
• women's health (general and reproductive)
• sexual and reproductive rights
• Mass Media and representation of the female social gender
• active participation of women in the movement for the democratization and humanization of international relations. Networks of friendship and co-operation with the women of neighbouring countries.
• rejection of violence, militarism and armaments' race

The Department is in continuous dialogue with the women's and feminist organization, networks, initiatives and collectives and intervenes politically, so that the positions of the movement are incorporated into the programmatic discourse of the party and so that its demands may be promoted in the Parliament and the Europarliament by the MPs and Euro-MPs of SYN.

It takes part in the Women's Network of the New European Left Forum (NELF). It co-operates as a matter of priority with political and social organizations of the Balkan countries, Cyprus and Russia as well as countries of the Middle East.

At a national level, it co-operates with the Departments of the other parties of the country through the Interparty Women's Co-operation Committee.

It expresses its solidarity with all women around the planet fighting for their social liberation and for the dignity of their gender, and it declares its readiness to co-operate with them.