Parental leave and the mother’s return to the world of work occupied, among other things, tparticipants in the conference of “The Upfront Initiative” which supports and promotes equality, inclusion, diversity and visibility in the workplace is organized for the third consecutive year, on March 14, 2024 at the Athens Conservatory, under the auspices of the President of the Republic , Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

Under the coordination of journalist Tina Mandilarathe panelists on the panel “She’ll Request Parental Leave – The Daily Struggle of a Working Parent” were quick to point out all the problems that come with the “parent” label, but also the steps that have been taken lately.

Sofia Zaharaki, Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, began her placement by the criticism she received in 2023 for taking over the ministry. “The criticism that ‘a woman who has no children and is not married cannot lead such a ministry’ was something very traumatic for me,” he admitted. She recalled that before becoming a politician she had worked as an educator, but her ability as a professional was never questioned, even though she is not a mother.

At another point in her speech, Mrs. Zaharaki declared herself a supporter of choices. “This is what I do in the ministry, so that every citizen can live a full life.” Asked about parental leaves, she explained that an ideal work environment should not pose the dilemma of family or career. That is why the ministry strengthened maternity leave in the private sector, while recently this measure was extended to farmers and freelancers.

“We must commit that the return to work will not deprive us of the opportunity for advancement and promotion,” continued the minister, explaining that the legal framework can help social transformation, although she acknowledged that there is a way to go from legal enshrining to substantive equality.

For her part, Iro Melliou, Director of Human Resources at Vodafone Greece, was openly in favor of equality, regardless of diversity. “We have to understand what people need and move on to the next day,” he commented on parental leave, noting that Vodafone offers 16 weeks of paid leave. “This is beyond the laws that have been passed. And we are implementing it from 2021,” he said. When something becomes an institution, she added, it helps change society. And as the company’s figures show, of those who used parental leave, 55% were women and 45% were men. “More balanced families means more balanced workers” he concluded.

Tzouli Agoraki, Writer – Screenwriter – Editor at LiFO, recounted her personal experience as a mother. “My big anxiety, when the child came, was “now what will happen”. It was a struggle with myself, in order to see what the role is between mother and child” she recalled, among other things. As she claimed, in fact, her work was her exit and her return to the role of a woman. “I had suffered a social postpartum depression. I wanted to be away from home and be at work,” he added. Later, of course, with the help of experts, she managed to find her footing.

Finally, Eleftheria Despinara, Data & AI Director – I&D Lead at Accenture, found that more and more men are using parental leave. In addition, he made it known that the company he works for makes small and big moves, which show that he is next to the workers and their families, such as support for families with three children and annual gifts for children starting school.