Inevitably, the international economic crisis and the long recession, “which we are experiencing and the state is trying to deal with, are affecting a large part of the population today, with its effects being particularly strong on vulnerable groups, such as working women,” she said. The Minister of Labor, Welfare and Social Insurance Zeta Aimilianidou, speaking at a press conference on the presentation of the research of the Committee on Gender Equality in Employment and Vocational Education, “Gender Discrimination in Employment in Cyprus”.
The Minister of Labor stated, at the same time, that the promotion of gender equality in employment is one of the main objectives of the Ministry of Labor, Welfare and Social Insurance and is implemented through the implementation and monitoring of relevant legislation by the relevant Departments of the Ministry – the Department Of Labor and the Department of Labor Relations.
As he said, the Laws on Equal Treatment of Men and Women in Employment and Vocational Education, which fall within the competence of the Department of Labor, aim to ensure and promote the principle of equal treatment of men and women in employment and vocational education.
He noted that the current research is presented at a special but difficult time, both because of the pandemic and its socio-economic consequences but also because of the recent allegations that have come to light and concern the sexual harassment of women and men in its field. private and public life.
“Inevitably, the international economic crisis and the long recession, which we are experiencing and the state is trying to deal with, are affecting a large part of the population today, with its effects being particularly strong on vulnerable groups of the population, such as working women. On the other hand, the timing of the complaints that come to light, we hope that they will be a springboard for organized organizations and society in general, to address this issue with the necessary importance and determination to eliminate the phenomenon of sexual harassment and any gender inequality and discrimination “, he added.
As he said, as a competent Ministry, utilizing the findings of the present research but also other data “that we have before us, we will continue to work towards the elimination of gender inequalities in the labor market and opening new avenues in the solutions needed to eliminate discrimination and traditional gender stereotypes, bridging the pay gap, removing gender segregation and other age-old issues, but also young people emerging through the evolution of modern society.
“Our close and good cooperation with the Committee on Gender Equality in Employment and Vocational Education demonstrates the practical support and assistance towards achieving this goal,” he added.
The Minister of Labor stated that discrimination on the grounds of sex includes harassment and sexual harassment, which is prohibited under Article 12 of these Laws and designates the employer as primarily responsible for dealing with sexual harassment at work (preventive and repressive) or co-responsible in its entirety with the person who did it.
The above legislation, he continued, is directly related to the Laws on Maternity Protection if discrimination based on pregnancy or marital status, respectively, against a working woman constitutes direct discrimination based on gender and is also examined on the basis of the provisions on Equal Treatment of Men and Women in Employment and Vocational Education Law.
Ms. Aimilianidou also said that the importance that the Ministry of Labor attaches to gender equality is also evident from the results of surveys among EU member states, where Cyprus has made significant progress on gender equality over a period of ten years with rates higher than the European average according to the Equality Index of the European Institute for Gender Equality.
The Chair of the Committee on Gender Equality in Employment and Vocational Education, Louisa Christodoulidou Zannetou, in her own greeting during the presentation of the results of the research commission commissioned by the IMR company of the University of Nicosia, on the position of women in the labor market in Cyprus, gender inequalities, but also the perceptions and stereotypes that are reproduced and that perpetuate discrimination, he said that incomprehensible equality is not only guaranteed through laws, but also needs to inform and raise awareness of workers to know their rights and at the same time feel that the state provides them with the mechanisms but also the support to report behaviors and actions that are not appropriate in the world of work.
“Employers also need training to prevent and tolerate and or adequately address such behaviors. We generally need a change in culture and attitude towards stereotypes and issues of equality. The Commission is enacted under the Equal Treatment of Men and Women in Employment and Vocational Education Act 2002 (205 (I) / 2002) which is important harmonizing legislation to address discrimination and consolidate the principle of gender equality in all aspects of working life. “An important advantage is the fact that the Commission consists of representatives of the Social Partners, Government, trade unions and employers, a fact that contributes to decision-making but also to the implementation of actions with the greatest possible consensus and impact,” he added.
The Commission, continued Ms. Zannetou is ready to advise, accept complaints from victims of gender discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, motherhood issues and offer them legal assistance to go to court.
“Other challenges we face are the pay gap between men and women, occupational segregation, discrimination against pregnant women, the employment rate for mothers and the reduced working hours of women so that they can combine family and work, under-representation of women in decision-making centers and in high positions, temporary employment as well as long-term unemployment that is more widespread among women “, she added.
According to the main findings of the survey, 9/10 employees and all employers acknowledge the existence of gender inequality in the labor market in Cyprus, 86% of citizens are convinced that incidents of discrimination occur more often in women, Four in ten (40%) believe in the existence of wage inequalities to the detriment of women. The vast majority state that they have a male boss with the most pronounced phenomenon in the private sector and 80% would still accept a woman in this position.
In addition, according to the main findings of the survey, eight out of ten employees believe that in their workplace, men and women receive the same treatment from their superiors, with this perception being expressed by the vast majority of men (82% ) and women (80%), Universal rejection of the “theory” that 96% of decision-making positions are for men only, Four out of ten female-dominated private sector workers faced gender-related problems, Two ten employees feel that they have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace with the vast majority (78%) stating that they have not reported the incident, Access to employment, professional development and access to decision-making centers, the fields with the highest levels gender inequalities. Flexible hours are proposed as the most appropriate measure to bridge the gap between personal and professional life.
To the question to what extent would you say that there is gender inequality, ie gender inequality in employment and vocational education, in Cyprus, 39% answered to a sufficient degree, 35% to a small degree, 18% to a large degree and 8% not at all.
Philenews / ΚΥΠΕ
