Parliaments must uphold gender equality, House president says

House president Annita Demetriou on Friday participated in a working breakfast on the role of women in leadership, held on the sidelines of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Athens.

Demetriou joined fellow women speakers in a breakfast about the empowerment of women in leadership positions in times of crisis, stressing that the fundamental human right of women’s effective participation in public life is a priority, as it determines the quality and functioning of every democratic constitution.

Parliaments must uphold gender equality and fight any form of discrimination against women, as it is a blow to the very foundations of democracy, she said.

Demetriou added that women have been affected in multiple and disproportionate ways by the health crisis. “It is therefore imperative that immediate measures be taken, including a quota for their political representation to ,ensure that gender equality is enshrined in practice and diffused in all sectors of the state and society”.

At the same time, the House president stressed that women in Cyprus have proven in practice that they have the necessary qualifications, skills and sensitivity to manage complex issues and respond to the different roles and demands of today’s world.

The contribution of women to the wellbeing of societies and economic development creates the basis and prospects for sustainable and viable development, she added.

Finally, while informing the women House presidents about the role of women in the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, Demetriou stressed that the dynamic promotion of gender equality in foreign policy, especially with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and peace building, is of utmost importance.