Gender equality and Cyprus' efforts to include a gender dimension in public policy were highlighted by House of Representatives President Annita Demetriou in her intervention at the 28th European Conference of Presidents of Parliament of the Council of Europe member states which began Thursday in Rome.
The Conference began with a working breakfast for female Presidents of Parliaments, in which Demetriou, in her address, focused on the need to strengthen the collective action of women in defending and advocating for their rights.
In her remarks, she emphasised that gender equality is a strategic priority and an essential prerequisite for building strong economies, resilient institutions and fairer societies.
She pointed out that the persistent, long-standing obstacles faced by women constitute structural inequalities, the addressing of which requires comprehensive institutional and policy interventions.
Demetriou furthermore noted the need to safeguard gender equality online, where women and girls continue to face multiple forms of discrimination, including hate speech, defamation and sexist behaviour. Such actions severely undermine their dignity and their ability to pursue public office, she underlined.
Demetriou stressed the need to adopt a unified regulatory framework that includes social media.
Referring to the situation in Cyprus, the House of Representatives President said that significant progress was made toward achieving substantive gender equality, highlighting, in particular, the legislative mandate to integrate a gender perspective into public policy and the state budget.
She emphasised, however, that the current priority is to translate these institutional commitments into tangible, measurable outcomes, specifically regarding women’s economic independence, their access to positions of responsibility and their equal participation in public life.
Furthermore, she placed particular emphasis on the need to effectively address violence against women and girls, including femicide, which represents an extreme manifestation of gender inequality.
As the initiator of the Cypriot legislation recognising femicide as a distinct criminal offence, the President of the House highlighted the importance of strengthening legislative frameworks and fostering inter-parliamentary cooperation to effectively protect women and girls from all forms of gender-based violence.
A press release from the House of Representatives notes that the initiative led by Demetriou was the first in Europe to establish femicide as a specific criminal offence, and this was a move followed by similar legislative measures in Malta, Italy and Croatia.
The President of the House noted that parliaments have a pivotal role to play in promoting modern and effective gender equality policies such as equal opportunities, the substantive participation of women across all spheres of public life and a zero-tolerance approach toward any form of discrimination or gender-based violence.
Demetriou also stressed that, while relevant legislation has been enacted, what is needed is its implementation and the raising of public awareness regarding these issues.
