Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades and the commissioner for gender equality Josie Christodoulou welcomed on Wednesday the installation of new female silhouettes on pedestrian traffic lights in Nicosia.

The inspection took place at noon on Mikis Theodorakis avenue, in front of the municipal theatre and the Cyprus museum. The initiative introduces female silhouettes alongside or in place of the traditional male figures on pedestrian crossings.

The initiative follows the government’s earlier announcement of a gender-equality programme for public spaces. According to the transport ministry, the plan aims to reflect gender balance on street signs and traffic signals as part of the National Strategy for Gender Equality 2022-2026. The project includes the installation of female and children’s figures at crossings to promote inclusive public representation.

Both the transport ministry and the office of the commissioner for gender equality are jointly overseeing the implementation. Wednesday’s visit was held to observe how the new lights operate in practice. The programme is expected to extend to other areas of Cyprus in stages.

Minister Vafeades explained that the project combines safety with social awareness, saying that Cyprus joins several European countries that have already adopted gender-inclusive pedestrian signals, such as Germany, Spain and Austria.