The Hellenic Open University (HOU), the Undergraduate Programme of Studies “Business Administration & Organizations” of the School of Social Sciences and the Committee for Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination organized with success and increased participation on 26 March 2025 the online lecture of Professor Maria Karamesini of Panteion University on “Women, Work, Equality”.

The massive and sustained integration of women into paid work and the reduction of gender inequalities in the labour market are global phenomena that have been described as a “quiet revolution” and “great convergence”. In Greece, these trends matured and accelerated after the fall of the junta. Professor Maria Karamesini’s speech took stock of the fifty years since the post-independence period on the basis of the following questions-topics:

• What have women in Greece achieved in the last 50 years in terms of participation and conditions of participation in the labour market?
• Where are we today in terms of gender inequalities at work?
• Why is the country lagging behind in the European Union in both the female employment rate and gender inequalities at work, despite progress in both areas?
• How sufficient are current gender equality policies in employment to eliminate inequalities?

The event was addressed by the Rector of the HOU, Professor Manolis Koutouzis, who highlighted the role and the special contribution of the HOU, since the beginning of its operation, to the issue of mitigating gender inequalities in employment. Greetings were also given by the Director of the Programe, Associate Professor Christina Diakaki and the President of the EIFKD, Professor Vassilia Hadjinikita.

For those who could not attend the lecture live, the video recording is available on the HOU’s YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/live/Z0u0f-nhdyU?feature=share).