Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-03-08

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Inrternational Women's Day 2010 celebrated on Monday

[02] Snow, low temperatures

[01] Inrternational Women's Day 2010 celebrated on Monday

It is a major day of global celebration of women in all walks of life, from their importance in the home, in their profession, and in public affairs, but it has also evolved into a day of solidarity for women suffering hardships and for their rights.

The UN-designated International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated with a different UN theme each year, although many countries also select their own, localised theme. The UN theme for IWD this year (2010) is "Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all".

Deputy Justice Minister for transparency and human rights Apostolos Katsifaras and Equality Secretary General Maria Stratigaki on Sunday issued messages for International Women's Day, which is observed on March 8 this year.

Katsifaras said that March 8 is a day dedicated to women and their struggles to consolidate their rights in the family, economic, social and political life, "a day on which we are given the opportunity to honor all women for their multi-faceted and precious contribution to supporting society, to assess the efforts that have been made to promote women's rights all over the world, and to send a strong message on every woman's right to equality".

The woman's place and role in the socio-economic life of the globalised society, but also in Greece, has been steadily improving in recent years. However, the significant successes that have been achieved to date in the area of gender equality should not create complacency, Katsifaras added.

He said that in cooperation with the Equality General Secretariat a national program is being drafted for substantive equality of the genders and ensuring the rights of women, utilising the accumulated international experience and good practices in the sector of gender equality, while at the same time joint actions and collaborations are being developed with other sectoral policies.

The goal, he added, is to reinforce the actions on gender equality in the direction of boosting the woman's position in the social and public sectors through improvement of the quality and efficiency of equality policies.

Stratigaki, in her own message, said that March 8 is an anniversary marking the women's struggle for better working conditions.

This year's anniversary finds the working women in Greece in more adverse conditions, due to the economic crisis that limits their incomes and consequently increases the burden for caring for their children and dependents, Stratigaki said, adding that unemployment and financial difficulties intensify the exertion of violence against women in all its forms (spousal abuse, sexual harassment at work, forcing women into prostitution).

She stressed that "we must not allow the women to disproportionately suffer the burdens of the crisis".

Stratigaki said that achieving substantive gender equality promotes democracy, employment and prosperity and ensures the human rights of women.

[02] Snow, low temperatures

The Rio-Antirrio bridge linking the Peloponnese with central Greece is partly closed due to gusty winds prevailing in the area, with a prohibition for motorcycles, trucks with large surfaces, and trucks not carrying loads, for precautionary reasons.

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