In just under a month’s time, the second edition of Femme Fest will take over the Nicosia Municipal Gardens, working towards gender equality. On May 13 and 14, the festival will welcome and showcase the work of women in all fields as well as organisations and collectives dealing with gender issues. It will include thematic centres with information on many issues from a gender perspective, parallel discussions and workshops, theatre, dance and music performances. At the same time, there will be a corner for children’s creative activities in the festival area, and all for free.

Co-organised by POGO Women’s Movement, the Office of the Commissioner for Gender Equality and the Municipality of Nicosia, the festival is supported by the National Mechanism for Women’s Rights and Youth Initiatives of the Cyprus Youth Organization. The festival aims to become a point of reflection and development of ideas regarding gender equality, promote the discussion of gender issues in the broad strata of society, contribute to the breaking down of gender stereotypes, highlight women from all walks of life and increase their visibility.

“The participation of women in political and social life in Cyprus is limited to 30 per cent,” say organisers. “The average monthly earnings of working women in Cyprus for the 4th quarter of 2022 is €2,024 while that of men is €2,408. Women with a percentage of 81 per cent are the ones who take care of the children and the household. The incidents of gender and domestic violence exceed 5,500 in the last two years. Cyprus occupies only 57.3 per cent in the gender equality index, a percentage which corresponds to the 22nd place in a total of 28 EU member states for 2022. The above numerical data, which reflect the situation of women in Cyprus, underline the need to take action to promote gender equality in our country.”

Femme Fest

Two-day festival with talks, info points, performances and more for the promotion of gender equality. May 13-14. Nicosia Municipal Gardens, Nicosia. www.femmefestcy.com