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Vienna (OTS / SK) – “Following in the footsteps of Barbara Prammer, our vision of feminism is global and universal in its international solidarity,” said Esther Lynch, Undersecretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation, opening her speech at the 7th Barbara Prammer Symposium. Like Emma Dowling, assistant professor of sociology of social change at the University of Vienna, she spoke about the effects of the crisis on women’s politics. Across Europe, the multiple burden on women between domestic work, education, caregiving and paid work has been shown to have increased. The closure of the nurseries and the lack of social services of general interest would have caused it. ****
The trade unionist spoke of three major “works” of a progressive women’s policy that should be especially considered in this crisis. The first work mentioned is the wage inequality between men and women. It turns out that when work of equal value is performed by women rather than men, they are paid less. This applies not only within a profession, but also between sectors. “We have recognized the work of women in these areas as fundamental, as the support of the system. Now we can no longer accept wage inequality!”, Affirmed the union. Pay transparency is necessary to make pay inequality visible and lay the foundations for effective negotiations for unions. At the European level, the union is trying to enforce the implementation of a directive on gender pay transparency across Europe, Lynch said.
Second, it analyzed the working conditions of women in the central office. For many, this has meant greater isolation with greater multiple exposure. The third essential task of a feminist response to the crisis is a determined stance against setbacks in women’s politics. “We have to name the reaction. Here in Europe, feminists also have to resist,” Lynch emphasizes. Now we must fight to ensure that the Istanbul Convention, which establishes women’s rights with regard to protection against violence, is ratified and applied throughout Europe. The union member also vehemently underscored the call for an investment offensive in the areas of child care, nursing and care work. This is aimed at providing security to those in need and creating good working conditions for employees.
With input from Emma Dowling, assistant professor of sociology of social change at the University of Vienna, the 7th Barbara Prammer Symposium also focused on the causes and consequences of the crisis of care. The crisis of care consists of the exhaustion of the social forces of care, that is, of care in the strictest sense, but also of care in the broadest sense. People have very few resources to care for themselves and others.
The causes of this crisis lie in the predominance of neoliberalism, which means policies of privatization and austerity, even in the health and social sectors. Even if the policy of cuts in Austria is not as dramatic as, for example, in Britain, public coffers and public services of general interest remain under pressure, Dowling warned. The acute shortage of nursing staff and poor working conditions in nursing would also exacerbate the care crisis in Austria. However, neoliberalism not only means deficits in public provision, but also that all parents have to work more remuneratively to support the family financially. In the neo-liberal dual-income model, both parents are in paid employment, but the established distribution of roles means that unpaid care, nurturing, and domestic work continue to weigh on women’s shoulders.
To find a way out of the care crisis, it is important to stop putting care, concern and education on people’s shoulders and thus leave the wrong path of market solutions and advocate for personal responsibility. The course should be corrected by ensuring tax-based public funding of care work and time relief, Dowling said. The sociologist underscored the importance of reduced working hours for a progressive women’s policy and also emphasized that a fundamental change of direction is needed from a profit-oriented to a needs-oriented society. (Final) ar / bj
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