Greek Men

In response to Barbara's story, Cara brought up an important point about Greek men and how women are treated in Greece. I am posting it here, along with my response, for all to see, because it is a common topic of conversation. How can a place that has so many feminine qualities also be home to male chauvinism? I have observed a change for the better in the last twenty years, but it is true that foreign women are not necessarily treated with the utmost respect.

Cara wrote:
"I'm delighted to hear women in Greece are generally respected and valued. I spent a month there in 1999 and loved it. However, I was sexually harassed by more men there than in any of more than a dozen other countries I've visited. From what Barbara writes, I appreciate that I perhaps received a skewed introduction to male-female relations. Certainly, there were a few Greek men who behaved gentlemanly to me: one stranger gave me a mad motorbike ride through a ferry terminal, to help me make my boat on time!"

Hi Cara,
Unfortunately, you are not alone in your experience. Women aren't necessarily treated well in Greece, especially single foreign women. Just because Greece may bring out the feminine within us doesn't mean that women are treated well. There is a general respect for family, and mothers hold a lot of power as far as their sons are concerned. It took me awhile to realize that this means that Greek mothers also have the power to shape their children's values. They must, on some level, value this chauvinism. I see this pattern changing somewhat with the younger generations, but I find that modern-day Greece still reflects the inequality that existed between genders in ancient Athens. Even Athena herself, in some ways, reflects more masculine than feminine wisdom. Perhaps this very duality is exactly what brings the feminine out in me when I am there. I am glad that you brought this up. Too often people assume that when a society expresses feminine characteristics that it means that this same society also values women, but, in fact, the opposite is often true. Look at India!
Rebecca