AKEL on International Women’s Day

 

 

8 March 2023, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

 

The 8th March is a day to evaluate the collective struggles of women in our country and throughout the world, but also to acknowledge the distance that still needs to be covered before gender equality becomes a reality. Discrimination against women at work and in the family, the lack of social policy that fully supports motherhood, violence against women and human trafficking, sexist stereotypes in education and the mass media, as well as the lack of participation of women in public life remain deeply embedded realities in Cypriot society.

There needs to be an end to the philosophy followed by the Anastasiades government on issues where gender equality and women are concerned- and especially working women – which has resulted in the disappointing steps backwards of Cyprus as recorded in international indicators. We expect the Christodoulides government to take concrete steps of the for the country though we observe the failure of the new President to fulfil his pledge for equal gender representation in the composition of the Cabinet is on record.

For the Left, the struggle for gender equality is not a fight between men and women. It is a fight against patriarchal structures, sexist attitudes and the economic system that reproduces inequalities, injustices and oppression both socially and on the basis of gender. This is precisely why AKEL will continue to assert measures and policies that meet the needs of women today: working women, young mothers, the unemployed, single parents, pensioners, farmer, immigrants.

With these thoughts, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, AKEL addresses a greeting of struggle and appreciation to all women of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Latins and Armenians, as well as immigrant and refugee women in our country. Gender equality is an integral part of our vision for a society of freedom, solidarity and equality.