Greece

Women in Private Life

Greek culture emphasizes the family as a key source of an individual's identity and support system. Consequently, Greece has high marriage rates and low divorce rates. Both church and civil marriages are common and legally recognized. The average woman marries in her mid-20s. The fertility rate is 1.3 births per woman. The 2009 infant mortality rate was 4 per 1,000 live births, and the maternal mortality rate was 3 per 100,000 live births. The state Social Insurance Fund and employers provide women with 119 days of paid maternity leave at 100 percent of their wages. Seventy-six percent of married women use contraception. [Page 645]The legalization of abortion and steep declines in the birth rate in modern Greece have both been recent controversial social issues.

Cultural tradition emphasizes the woman's role as wife, mother, and daughter. Women maintain strong economic roles within the family, and own property. Most Greek families are nuclear, but extended families and strong ties with godparents and wedding sponsors are also common. Related family households tend to live nearby. Parents, grandparents, and other relatives share childrearing responsibilities. The Family Law of 1983 legalized gender equality in family decision making. Family privacy is emphasized but hospitality plays an important role in Greek culture. Women are also heavily involved in religious and artistic activities. Domestic violence and other crimes against women often go unreported, and those that are prosecuted have low conviction rates.

There is a cultural emphasis on parental self-sacrifice to ensure that children achieve greater success. Education for both sexes is highly valued, and public schools are both compulsory and free. Female school attendance rates stand at 100 percent at the primary level, 91 percent at the secondary level, and 95 percent at the tertiary level. There are several institutions of higher learning, but many receive higher education abroad. Women comprise half of all university students. Female and male literacy rates are almost identical, at 96 percent and 98 percent, respectively.

The culture's egalitarian emphasis has resulted in high rates of social mobility. Greece has been predominantly urban since World War II, with Athens containing approximately one-third of the population. Most Greeks own their own homes or apartments, even in urban areas. Families are expected to care for the elderly, infirm, and orphans. Informal social control limits violent crimes. There is a National Health Service of hospitals, clinics, and insurance as well as state systems of disability and pension plans and disaster compensation. Although most healthcare facilities are located in urban areas even rural populations have adequate access. There is also a private healthcare system for those with the funds. Life expectancy is high: age 73 for women, and 69 for men.

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