Seite 117 [117]
GENDER HISTORY RETROSPECTIVE IN HUNGARY AFTER 1949
Women could only enter the field of politics based on the introduced guota.
I need to point out here that the heritage of this forced emancipation is the
fact any form of positive discrimination is almost uniformly met with signif¬
icant revulsion in Hungary due to its state socialist appearance and ideology.
Even despite the fact that positive discrimination implemented in the 21st
century would particularly contribute to the de facto prevalence of constitu¬
tional rights. Ihis means it would provide assistance to egual chances in case
of matching gualifications under certain conditions on the basis of eguity, in
the science sector for example, in case a woman also deals with family matters.
And what I always say, and said to everyone already, is that I have reached everything
6 to 8 years later in my profession because I am a woman. And not because it posed
an issue — it didn’t, family is important. But it is a fact. The problem is everything
has an age limit in science, which is clearly discriminating against women. (Subject
no. 9, natural sciences)
The great disparity experienced in development, and typical to all sectors,
became quite apparent not long after the significant changes starting in the
late ’40s and 50s, i.e. by the 60s, which was most apparent in salary disparities.
The allowances of women were significantly lower than that of men even under
the same circumstances. The salaries of women hardly reached 80% of that of
their male counterparts in cases of identical educational level, position, etc.**!
The situation on the labour market seemed to reflect the traditional model of
task division in the family as well.*”
My boss back then, who considered himself a liberal and does so to this very day, told
me during a friendly conversation that he is not including me in a project because
[...] our colleagues told him that my husband had a good salary. (Subject no. 16,
social sciences)
FAMILY POLICY — THE DUAL-EARNER FAMILY MODEL,
IDEOLOGY AND REALITY
There was typically no division of household tasks even after the 1950s in
Hungary. The surfeit, due to household duties and paid employment of women
was therefore a source of constant tension and dispute.** The biggest problem
331 [bidem.
382 See also Neményi, M. — Kende, A.: Anyák és lányok, Replika, 1999, 35(3), 117-141.
333 See also Zimmermann, S.: A társadalmi-nemi (gender-) rezsim és küzdelem a magyar ál¬
lamszocializmusban, TNTEF, 64-94, https://ojs.bibl.u-szeged.hu/index.php/tntef/article/
view/33698/32770 and Ferge: Változik-e manapság, and Schadt: , A feltörekvő dolgozó nő".