Enlargement, Gender and Governance (EGG)
EU Framework 5, Project No: HPSE-CT-2002-00115
Work Package 3 (Executive Summary): Romania
By Georgeta Ghebrea, Marina Tataram, Ioana Cretoiu, University of Bucharest
1. Social Movements
The communist state ensured the representation of women through the National
Women’s Council, which was subordinated to the Romanian Communist Party. Its
function was purely symbolic: it had to illustrate the importance granted to women by
the regime. After 1989, the Council became dissolute, as a few leaders attempted to
found other, more meaningful, women’s organisations. Before 1989, the negative
connotations attached to association with the ruling political elite in turn motivated
many women to avoid political and civic activity. At present, there is a record 50
NGOs for women, while women comprise 46% of the membership of all NGOs
(regardless of their specific field of activity). The database of the AnA Centre lists a
record 59 NGOs. In 1993, a National Forum of Women was founded and placed
under the coordination of a single organisation. A Council for Social Dialogue among
women’s NGOs was also instituted in 1996. None of these organisations stemmed
from the former National Women’s Council, which functioned in the communist
period.
External support is one of the most important sources for 50% of women’s NGOs.
Concerning government support, Law 34/1998 subsidises NGOs from public funds but only those NGOs providing social services.
Women’s issues are not on the Government agenda and or regarded as urgent.
Activities of the women’s movement are not determined by women’s needs. Most
women’s NGOs are oriented towards other groups (street children, unemployed,
AIDS, homeless, poor, disabled) or towards civil rights in general. Representation in
the rural areas is almost non-existent. Only few organisations clearly define
themselves in terms of promoting gender issues (the AnA Society for Feminist
Analyses, GENDER, Partners for Change, the Foundation for Equal Opportunities for
Women, the “Partnership for Equality Centre”, the Society for Gender Equality). In
fact, the main activities of women’s NGOs involve delivering almost non-paid social
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services in the framework of programs initiated by different Western donors. After
taking part in different training sessions organised in Romania or abroad, several
NGOs have developed solid training curricula on different women’s issues, including
a gender dimension.
2. Democratisation Movements
All interviewees for WP3 presented a negative evaluation of the communist regime,
particularly regarding women’s social status. During communism, women had no
access to their own identity, and their political participation incited the repulsion of
the entire society, a sense that persists to this day towards any public engagement of
women. All interviewees recall the existence of dissidents, some of them women
(Doina Cornea, Ana Blandiana).
The interviewees believe that women’s civic and political participation in Romania
continues to be narrow to date. The waning participation of women in political
positions after 1990 is partially due to their personal decisions, as many women
associated such participation with Ceauşescu’s coercive and propagandistic policies.
Romanian parties still only have a few first-rank women leaders. The content analysis
of their political programmes indicates merely a formal and superficial stance
concerning women’s problems. Women are clearly under-represented in political
parties, both because they are dominated by men and because of the mentalities
women have been indoctrinated with for decades. Women ministers did not project
outstanding performance (on the contrary), but there are many women activists who
do important work for their political parties. These women, active in political parties
for the past 13 years, are employed only as party members, membership fee payers,
organisers for party activities and electoral activities; while men take the forefront, the
women are effectively brushed aside.
Nevertheless, respondents believed that a positive tendency has surfaced today
concerning the civic and political participation of women in Romanian society. As
compared to the beginning of the 1990s, women’s political participation improved in
Romania. In the early 90s, there were almost no women in Parliament, Government,
and Ministries. People at large see women in politics, and they see strong women with
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a good image. In politics, as in other domains, society expects more of women and the
general attitude is less sympathetic towards women than men.
Our respondents’ most important contributions to democratisation are:
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opposition to the communist regime
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raising social awareness regarding the gender topics
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founding civic and social movements
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founding political parties
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women’s empowerment
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local development
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improving women’s social status (health, education, standard of life, economic
activity)
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fighting discrimination
The main instruments for achieving these aims were:
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protest letters
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training courses
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direct support for disadvantaged women
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setting up social and community centres
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dissemination using a diversity of channels (mass-media, internet, seminars,
conferences, campaigns)
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voluntary work for community
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writing books and articles
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doing research, feminist studies
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teaching
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lobbying
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street marches and meetings
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public administration
3. Women’s Movements
Generally speaking, respondents’ perceptions are that the women’s movement in
Romania is marginal, weak, fragmented and under-funded. Even women’s problems
in Romania differ from those that are tackled by women’s organisations. The
women’s movement enjoys very little visibility and is almost absent from the public
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scene. Collaboration between women’s organisations is sporadic. Romanian State
support is insufficient.
Respondents see the priorities of women’s movements differently. Some matters
(fighting violence against women) have the attention of all respondents. Our
respondents are divided on the following:
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organisations that prioritise social services for women and their participation in
solving social, educational, environmental, etc. matters
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organisations that give priority to women’s political involvement
Some movements are more concerned with helping women (most of them), while
others focus on women’s emancipation. For instance, many interviewees believe that
some social phenomena (domestic violence, prostitution, pornography, trafficking
with women) are problems of the entire society and the effects of transition, while
other respondents believe these phenomena are to be classified as women’s issues.
Few issues truly inspired and mobilised the women’s movement or were promoted
onto the public agenda:
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Violence against women, in the family and at work. (Several women’s
organisations and the Soros Foundation for an Open Society, with the support of
the women in the Parliament, have organised a strong campaign to bring this issue
into public and political attention.)
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Parental leave
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Fight against discrimination
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Social services for the benefit of women, and community service in general
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The political participation of women. If the parties don’t find another way to
improve the participation of women, quotas can be a solution.
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Local development and the economic activity of women
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Studies concerning women’s status, the monitoring of this situation and the
popularisation of the monitoring reports would also count as a solution for
increasing the visibility of the women’s movement.
Most respondents believe that the government is not sufficiently open to the
women’s movement, offer necessary funding, or ensure a favourable legislative
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framework. By abrogating Ceauşescu’s law that used to ban abortion (among the first
measures taken by the new regime in 1990), the new parties in government considered
that they had done their duty towards women.
Western NGOs contributed decisively to laying the foundations of women’s NGOs
in Romania, and, in some of cases, they continued the collaboration even after these
organisations consolidated. Romanian organisations became familiar with the
Western perspectives on women’s issues. Most importantly, the example of the
Western organisations helped mobilise and inspire determination and courage in
Romanian women.
Women politicians are few. The main projects that mobilised women and incited
collaboration between NGOs and women parliamentarians from the opposition were
the prevention of domestic violence and defending social security benefits for
mothers.
A representative of the public administration comments on the initiative for an Equal
Opportunities for Women organisation. This organisation established training courses
and meetings between women politicians and women activists from Romania and
from abroad. The representative – who often worked with local and regional NGOs to
solve problems of the local administration and to help disadvantaged groups (heirless
elderly women, abused women) – remarks on the total absence of women’s issues
from the agenda of the local public administration. It is nonetheless true that the
fundamental changes for women’s condition need a national framework. The
representative mentions the women’s organisations established within most Romanian
political parties, but explains that even these organisations give priority to the party’s
interests over the women’s cause.
Just like the party organisations, the trade unions do not place women’s interests first
(except when forced to do so by international organisations such as the ILO). Some
women’s NGOs have specific collaborations with the Churches (especially the
Orthodox and the Catholic Church). Despite their differences on the official positions
of both churches regarding some sensitive issues for the women’s movement
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(abortion, contraceptive measures), some collaboration has been possible, especially
concerning the provision of social services for women in difficulty.
Influence of the EU on campaigns for gender equality
Romanian women have begun to benefit from the policies of the European Union. In
2002, Law no. 202 (concerning equal opportunities for women and men) was passed.
The EU provides a framework for collaboration between Romanian NGOs and NGOs
from the European Union. The EU offers information regarding legislation and the
organisation of gender policies, information that is accessible to all Romanian
women. Women will be better informed about their roles in a European country,
while taking advantage of the equality legislation. The EU finances concrete actions
that benefit Romanian women, such as social and educational programmes conducted
with the aid of NGOs. The EU finances research projects and studies regarding gender
and women’s issues. The social, economic and cultural condition of women will
improve, because EU accession entails a growth in the living standards.
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