Gender equality to be at centre of Cyprus EU presidency

Upon assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026, Cyprus will focus on developing gender equality, Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis said on Tuesday.

On Monday and Tuesday, the minister participated in the Council of Europe’s informal meeting of gender equality ministers in Brussels.

During the two-day conference, ministers had the opportunity to discuss and exchange views on their priorities, future steps and common goals in the field of promoting gender equality.

In his address, Hartsiotis welcomed the important work that has taken place at a European level in the last five years, recognising that strong political will and commitment to these issues as one of the most important factors in the field of gender equality.

He also praised the important contribution of civil society organisations in efforts to promote equality and pointed out that everyone’s commitment to these issues should be “firm and continuous”.

During the meeting, ministers from the current trio of the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU (Spain, Belgium and Hungary) signed a declaration on gender equality issues.

This was handed over in a symbolic gesture to the incoming trio of Cyprus, Poland and Denmark, with the aim of strengthening cooperation between them and further promoting equality issues at the European level.

The justice minister assured that, upon assuming the presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026, Cyprus will focus its attention on “priority areas that will have added value to what has been achieved so far in its field of gender equality.”