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Holiday 444 Circle
I am joining
Zorigt Burtejin, Amnesty International Hungary’s expert on gender equality.
In Hungary and in many parts of the world, we are used to men deciding on matters whose consequences mainly affect women, without the participation of women. This is best illustrated by the anti-abortion coalition formed in October, which was joined by 32 countries and included only male leaders among those who signed the declaration. After all this, we could also consider positive that a political woman, Katalin Novák, tells the recipe for how a woman can be successful and strong. In this document, I would like to show why it is still detrimental to women’s movements and to all women if it is a female leader who suggests that we forget about emancipatory aspirations.
Novak is sending a message to women that we do not want the same salary as men and we are not looking for a position that suits their qualities as men. In other words, Hungarian women accept that in 2019 alone they worked about 73 days for free compared to their male colleagues. According to the Central Statistical Office (CSO), the gap between the average monthly gross earnings of women and men among full-time employees was 20 percent last year. According to CSO data, in 2019, while the average gross salary for men was 403,600 HUF and for women it was 335,800 HUF. The pay gap is a form of gender inequality that exists in the labor market. In Hungary, the gender pay gap is widening with age, higher education, higher income levels, an increase in the number of children and a higher status in the labor market. In Hungary, the proportion of women with higher education is higher, but it seems that it is less profitable for women to obtain a degree than for men. According to Katalin Novák, this is fine.
Although the Minister of the Family recognizes that it is not easy for a woman to take care of a family while she has a job in progress. But she says there is no problem with that either, as women have the power to bear the burden not only of themselves but also of their own families and of others. On the other hand, those who fight for equality want to make sure that women do not have to interrupt their several hours of unpaid work in addition to their paid work alone, but that housework, childcare and family are distributed equitably among family members. Unlike the minister, I hope there are many of us who think that it is not only women who have received the beauty of love and care from others. It is also not fair to the men who are involved in raising children on a daily basis and caring for their elderly partners or parents. It is also degrading for men to expect them to only support their families and to only be given the role of breadwinner. Another question is that if we continue to hear at the government level the narrative that this is the job of women, then how many men and women will believe this and to what extent does it recede aspirations for equality? So how can we expect women to dare to defend themselves and demand equal pay or promotion? How can we expect men to support equality, even in a more proportionate division of responsibilities in the home, if the Minister of the Family points out only the responsibility and carrying capacity of women?
Katalin Novák deliberately misinterprets emancipation,
And it is precisely about being free to choose: it is also good that someone wants to be a mother with many children, just as it is good that someone does not give birth, get married, and “only” want to fulfill themselves as a woman in their career. Emancipation would give the woman the independence not to be financially vulnerable and get caught up in an abusive relationship, and it’s also about recognizing her professional merits, if any. Emancipation means that the decision to have a child, take responsibility and carry the burdens not only puts pressure on the shoulders of women, but in which men are also active actors. And Katalin Novák must understand that more children are born in countries where there is more gender equality, where women have the opportunity to reconcile their family and work responsibilities, and having children and caring does not mean giving up their professional goals.
Katalin Novák has come a long way at a party where women are often talked about in a humiliating way. It would be an opportunity to really improve the opportunities for women in the labor market and make decisions that, for example, promote that women do not really have to choose between having a child and working. However, this would require not saying what women should not do, but rather what men in leadership positions can do to achieve real equality between women and men. In a country where the proportion of women in parliament has remained stable at around ten percent for thirty years, where most companies sit on the boards of directors, what privileges should women not renounce? What about men and their decision-making position? Katalin Novák leaves everything to women, but where is the responsibility and burden of men in this?
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