Ten scholarships for studies in innovation and technology for women over 25 who did not have the opportunity to study after high school, announced the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulidis, at an event for International Day on women's rights held on Tuesday afternoon at the Presidential.
The scholarships, which will be given in collaboration with the Cyprus State Scholarship Foundation, are instituted on an annual basis and are given in memory and in honor of Dr. Christiana Kouta, who passed away on Saturday, "as a minimal sign of recognition of what she has contributed to the academic field. and more specifically for its action in promoting women's rights”, noted the President.
The event was scheduled to take place on March 9, however, due to the mourning after the accident in Tempe, it was finally held on Tuesday.
The President of the Republic, in his speech, emphasized that the conditions that they will enable true gender equality. "We must focus on creating those conditions so that it is possible for women to express an interest in public participation", he noted.
"Despite the important steps we have taken, we must admit that we have not yet achieved complete and substantial equality", the President said, stressing that the issue of equality is a political issue.
According to the Indicators of the European Institute for Gender Equality, he said, Cyprus ranks 22nd out of the 27 EU member states in terms of gender equality, since the participation of women and men in the care and education of their children or grandchildren, the elderly and the disabled , as well as in domestic work is clearly greater for women.
Due to a lack of time, which is mainly dedicated to caring for the extended family, women participate clearly less in political, social, cultural, sports and recreational activities, President Christodoulidis said.
Referring to countries that have achieved equal representation and prominence of women in decision-making centers in businesses, in the public and private sectors, quotas were only a transitional stage, he noted that they created structures that contributed substantially so that women who objectively have many roles , to have data that freed them and left them time to deal with everything they want without any guilt.
Specifically, he referred to the creation of family support services, implementing flexible hours for parents, more leave for those with many children, single parents and disabled parents, through the operation of nurseries in workplaces, with entertainment and activity areas for children, where they will be with security, with elderly care structures, public transport, and other related and targeted actions.
“Our duty is to create the conditions so that everyone can enjoy all their rights,” he noted, noting that equal representation will have multiple benefits in terms of efficiency in decision-making, “as long as it is known to all the female characteristics of perseverance, methodicality, practical mind, empathy, a very strong sense of justice. "All this will contribute in all areas, I am absolutely sure of that, and for me the achievement of the goal of gender equality is one way", he noted.
Is it about’ this, he noted, that one of the basic conditions is the deconstruction of prejudices. "That is where we should focus, creating a culture of gender equality starting from education which has a very important role to play in achieving this goal", he said.
In addition, he noted that in the field of "power" men are over-represented compared to women in all areas: politics, economics, as well as on the boards of research organizations and the media. Why? this, he said, "I decided that in our governance program the gender dimension should definitely be integrated and integrated horizontally in all pillars and all our political priorities, with a number of concrete, implementable and measurable actions".
When we refer to the gender dimension, the state should not make decisions if it does not first ensure that these policies will have a positive and equal impact on 50% of its population, he said. “In other words, when you adopt a policy, you should ensure that there are those conditions that will allow an equal impact on the entire population, regardless of gender, and that everyone will benefit equally from the decisions made,” noted the President.
President Christodoulidis noted that, taking the above into account, "we have reached almost 45% participation of women for the first time in the history of our country". In addition, regarding the process of promoting bills, the President said that before their adoption, in cooperation with the Office of the Commissioner for Gender Equality, a relevant check will be made that will specifically concern the gender dimension and the need to ensure their equal impact and impact on the entire population regardless of gender.
In addition, he noted that his administration's short-term goal is for all women to make informed decisions about their own lives, whether it concerns family planning, whether they want to study, what to study, work in so-called "non-traditional female" professions, to participate equally, so that they can live independently and also be paid equally.
"We should work hard to deconstruct any prejudices and stereotypes in order to remove barriers, gender stereotypes and achieve a fairer society. To allow our children, boys and girls, women and men to reach their full potential and to pursue with optimism whatever their future and dreams are based on their own free choices, he concluded.
The Commissioner for Gender Equality, Jozis Christodoulou, in her speech emphasized that the promotion of equality between women and men and the full safeguarding of women's human rights is an important issue and condition for the social and economic development of all societies.< /p>
With the establishment of the Office of the Commissioner for Equality, a person will be appointed in all Ministries and Deputy Ministries who will work in coordination with the Office of the Commissioner to implement the National Strategy for Equality. "The goal, in addition to the implementation of the actions of the Strategy, is an effort to consolidate the gender culture in the state machine", she noted.
Mrs. Christodoulou emphasized the implementation of the state gender budget policy. "The goal of this policy is the fair distribution of the budget so that we have an equal distribution of resources between men and women", he noted.
Another important policy concerns the reduction of the pay gap, the Commissioner said, since, as she said in Cyprus for every 1 euro that men get, women get 90 cents, while, in terms of pensions, the gap is 37.2 %. In order to eliminate the pay gap, the Commissioner noted that she is in consultation with the Minister of Labor and the next step is the circle of contacts with the social partners.
Referring to the institutionalization of quotas, she said the government will proceed with full implementation of the directive, which ensures that at least 40% of non-executive directors or at least 33% of all company directors come from the under-represented gender.
Additionally, and within the framework of the policies of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare for the reconciliation of professional and family life, the subsidy and extension of operating hours for nurseries and child care are promoted, as well as the creation of new care structures for elderly people, for child care and people with disabilities, with the aim of smoothly reintegrating parents into the labor market.
The Commissioner also referred to the integration of the gender dimension in our country's foreign policy. "Using our geographical position and status as an EU Member State, we are promoting relevant actions in neighboring countries within the framework of our development policy", he noted.
Referring to violence against women, he noted that in Cyprus 1 in 4 women will face at least one form of violence during their lifetime, because they are women and stressed the importance of systematic information campaigns, in collaboration with the media. "We will evaluate the services provided at the Women's House, an inter-departmental space for female victims, with the aim of any improvements and the creation of new inter-departmental centers to provide services in other provinces,
