Women's rights and participation a top priority for Cyprus government, says Anastasiades

We place emphasis on the implementation of actions and policies regarding the elimination of all forms of violence, inequality, discrimination and exploitation of women, stated Cyprus` President Nicos Anastasiades on Wednesday evening, adding that his government tries to safeguard the rights of women and reinforce their participation.

President Anastasiades who attended an event on International Women`s Day held at the Presidential Palace said that he appointed a considerable number of women in important posts and positions as a sign of respect and recognition of women`s capabilities. The number of women appointed in the government is the largest ever achieved in the Republic of Cyprus, he added.

He also said that five acclaimed women participate in the Cabinet, and expressed his content for the election of a young woman in the Presidency of the House of Representatives, referring to Annita Demetriou.

President Anastasiades stated that acclaimed women should be preferred, because each time they have engaged in politics, they achieve much better results than men do. 

"Steps have been made in the right direction if you consider that 50% of the 10 Commissioners are women", he said, adding that "at the same time the presence of women as members or Presidents of the Boards of Directors in semi-governmental organizations exceeds 35%."

Referring to the establishment of women`s rights and especially to the effort to bridge the gap of inequality in terms of salaries, President Anastasiades said that according to the latest data for 2019 provided by the Statistical Service of Cyprus, this gap stands at 10.1%, compared to 14.1% in the EU average.

"This positive development places Cyprus in the 7th place among EU member states, achieving a considerable rise during recent years as our country managed a considerable reduction of this gap from 15.6% in 2012 to 10.1% today" President Anastasiades concluded.