Urgent action needed for women to be equally represented says House President

Gender inequalities are pronounced in management role, with only 27 per cent of these roles being filled by women, putting the island in 22^nd place in the EU, House President Annita Demetrious has said.

She added that Cyprus still has a long way to go to close the gender gap and increase women’s participation in decision-making structures and leadership.

Speaking on Saturday night at the 5th BPW Mediterranean Symposium of business professionals, she said the family-work balance remains a struggle for women, and needs to be urgently solved.

Currently, she said, Cypriot women shoulder far more caring responsibilities and unpaid work than men and have limited access to leadership networks.

“The investment of €20.5 million under the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan to support early childhood education and the creation of a network of childcare facilities is a positive step forward, as it will enhance the full-time labour market participation of carers, especially women,” she added.

We need to focus our efforts to overcome the particular challenges faced by women, she added, and step up efforts to eliminate the gender pay and pension gaps (9 per cent and 39 per cent, respectively), gender segregation in education, training and employment, and the under-representation of women in different sectors.

“Women have the potential to lead the way to a new normal, where equality is the rule rather than the exception. By working closely together in solidarity and unity, we can fight for a better, more sustainable, fair and promising future for present and future generations,” she concluded.