Women make up 66% of health workers in Cyprus

The majority of health workers in Europe during the pandemic were women, Eurostat said on Monday.

Women accounted for 66 per cent of health professionals during the third trimester last year in Cyprus, according to Eurostat report.

For the same period, 78 per cent of the health professionals in the EU were women, the report showed. The professions related to health corresponded to 12 per cent of the total employment of women in the EU while less than 7 per cent of Cyprus’ women were occupied in the health sector for the corresponding period, Eurostat added.

The role of female health professionals was highlighted by state nurses union Pasyno, as well as by main opposition Akel’s general secretary Andros Kyprianou on Monday, international Women’s Day.

“Their position is a point of reference for the daily struggle in hospitals and the community to tackle Covid-19,” the union said.

In statements during a visit to Nicosia general hospital, Kyprianou thanked the female workers and said women must have the same position as men in society.

“We need to fight together to be recognised by society as you really are and whatever concerns us, I make it clear that we consider you exactly equal to us men, no difference,” Kyprianou said.

According to another Eurostat report, the gross hourly earnings for women in 2019 was 10.1 per cent less than men in Cyprus.

The EU average gender wage gap is higher, at 14.1 per cent. The biggest difference was recorded in Estonia with 21.7 per cent while at the other end of the scale is Luxemburg with 1.3 per cent.

Cyprus ranks 27 out of 28 EU countries and 92 out of 149 countries in the global gender equality index, the democratic labour federation of Cyprus (Deok) said on Monday, citing a report by the World Economic Forum.

“The report points out that the estimated income for men is €36,295 per year while the corresponding income for women is €24,140 per year,” Deok added, demanding the effective implementation of the law on equal treatment for men and women.