March 8th is recognized as International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women worldwide while also emphasizing the need for action and the acceleration of gender equality. “Voice of Greece,” ERT’s global radio station, marks this occasion with special tribute broadcasts. More specifically:
On Friday, March 7, at 1:00 PM (Athens time), the radio series “Unguarded Passage” with Thomas Sideris honors International Women’s Day with a special episode dedicated to an extraordinary woman: Maria Roussou, director of the Public Library of Lefkada. Through perseverance and hard work, she transformed a public institution into a landmark for the island of Aristotelis Valaoritis and Angelos Sikelianos, making it a center of cultural life.
On Saturday, March 8, at 8:00 AM, Antonis Karagiannakis presents a special two-hour episode of “Saturday Shift”, dedicated to the role and contribution of women in the maritime industry. Guests include Marina Papaioannou, Regional Director of DNV Academies for Southeast Europe, Maria Boile, Professor at the University of Piraeus (Department of Maritime Studies), Director of the Master’s Program in Shipping and Coordinator of the European Technology Platform for Maritime Transport, Eirini Notia, Founder of Project Connect and the Adopt a Ship prograM, and Afroditi Korexanou, Third Engineer in the Merchant Navy – Coastal Shipping.
Later that day, at 10:00 AM, the show “Ariadni’s Thread”, hosted by Ariadni-Sofia Kouri, discusses workplace harassment against women with guest Rania Semertzian, an accredited mediator from the Ministry of Justice and ADR-ODR International.
At 12:00 PM, “Our Town”, hosted by Themis Rodamitis, focuses on Greek women in migration. Guest Kostoula Tomadaki, filmmaker, discusses her award-winning movie Mother of the Station, which tells the story of thousands of women who, in the 1960s, were forced to migrate due to poverty and unemployment, working in German factories.
At 1:00 PM, Marilena Katsimi hosts “Historical Walks”, opening a public discussion on the feminist movement in the modern era. Guest Nancy Papathanassiou, clinical psychologist and co-director of Orlando LGBT+, will discuss gender inequalities and the challenges feminism faces today.
Immediately after, at 2:00 PM, “Folk Paths”, hosted by Elena Falirea, presents a tribute to women in rebetiko music, both as performers and as creators.
At 5:00 PM, Maria Karagiannaki – Iona dedicates her show “Narratives– Stories and Fairy Tales for Young and Old” to mothers raising children with special abilities, concluding the story of young Manos, a child with ADHD, as told in the book My Name is Whirlwind by Maya Delivoria.
At 6:00 PM, Anna Prokova hosts “My Wandering Heart” presenting a musical tribute featuring songs about women—some legendary, some fictional, and others real—as real as the progress made against gender inequality and the ongoing need to defend women’s rights.
Finally, on Sunday, March 9, at 4:00 PM, the show “Journeys Basking in Greek Light”, hosted by Giannis Papoutsakis, blends women’s poetry with the voices of great female performers, in a two-hour musical and poetic tribute.
