Lisbon
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The traditional politico-cultural tour of the European Women's Circle took place from June 19 to 22, 2014 and took a group of members to the capital of the European Union's most south-western member state, Lisbon. Portugal's location on the Atlantic Ocean prompted its rise to a global power in the 16th century through the discovery of the sea route to India, the ensuing trade, and the founding of colonies as well as discovery of gold in Brazil. Still today, Lisbon's economy profits from ocean shipping and tourism due to its proximity to the ocean. The European Women's Circle met Elza Pais, MP, Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Equal Opportunity, in the parliament for an in-depth talk about the social and political situation of women in Portugal. The 8% wage differential between women and men in Portugal is quite low in comparison to Germany's 23%. The reason for this, though, is that the Portuguese wage level is low on average for both genders. Families depend on women's incomes. Therefore, virtually all women are working full time. The double burden of working for an income and the family reduces women's chances at a career. According to Elza Pais, this results in decreasing birth rates. An additional, significant problem is the youth unemployment rate of an exorbitant 36%. The extensive cultural program led the participants to sights in Lisbon and the surrounding areas: in Lisbon, the group visited Sé Patriarcal (the oldest church of the city), Sao Vicente, the Basílica da Estrela; the Jéronimos Monastery was part of the visit to the famous town of Belém. |
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