Intervention by Evanthia Savva, Head of Social Policy Sector and member of the Central Committee of AKEL at the Round Table discussion organised by AKEL

 

“Labour and Social Policies for Young People”

10 November 2023, Nicosia

Good evening dear friends,

I welcome you to tonight’s roundtable discussion on “Labour and Social Policies for Young People” which is part of our nation-wide campaign “YOUNG PARENTS AT THE FOREFRONT”.

We particularly welcome and thank Marc Botenga, MEP of the Belgian Worker’s Party PTB/PVDA, for his presence here today.

We also welcome and thank the General Secretary of PEO Sotiroula Charalambous and AKEL MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance Committee, Andros Kavkalias.

We welcome and thank the representatives of institutions and organizations that responded positively to our invitation.

Dear friends,

With our new campaign “Young Parents at the forefront”, we aim to highlight what concerns, exerts pressures and worries tens of thousands of parents in our country every day, opening the public dialogue while also proposing solutions and proposals.

Having a child is one of the greatest moments in every person’s life, which is hardly comparable to any other experience.

At the same time, however, having a child confronts new parents with many challenges, obligations, responsibilities and costs that they have to cope with and which, unfortunately, have become more acute today.

Undoubtedly, one of the most important concerns of a couple concerns the financial aspect. The financial situation of many households has been severely strained by the current conditions of high unemployment, rising interest rates, job insecurity, low wages and the absence of affordable housing.

The issue of combining work with the new responsibilities that come into their daily lives, which in many cases is difficult too, if there is no appropriate assistance, is critical. The question remains: are there currently in Cyprus sufficient and quality crèches and nurseries with hours that meet the needs of working parents?

Leave for working parents to be with their newborn children or to be able to be absent from work to care for their children is one of the most important support measures. However, Cyprus is far from reaching the level of social achievements of other European countries, particularly with regards the duration of maternity and paternity leave and parental leave and the amount of the corresponding allowances.

In addition, all this means double or even multiple burdens in the case of a parent of a child with disabilities, or a single parent who has to cope with all this alone and on one salary, or even a large family with multiple expenses and responsibilities.

Quality and affordable health services are crucial to having a child – from conception and pregnancy through to delivery and the health of mother and baby.

Dear friends,

The challenges faced by young people, young couples, every mother and every father today cannot be seen as an individual and family responsibility that falls solely on young parents or even grandparents who are called upon to help meet the obligations of everyday life. Nor can these responsibilities end up weighing disproportionately on women, especially when stereotypes continue to burden them with dual roles and responsibilities both at work and at home. Childcare and support for parents is a social responsibility and the state has an obligation to have a vision, develop long-term planning and allocate resources.

For all these reasons, Cyprus needs a progressive social policy that embraces modern working parents. Social protection spending on family and children in Cyprus was until two years ago – according to the last Eurostat study carried out – almost half the EU average.

In conclusion, I really want to thank you again for your presence here and I am sure that through the interventions and the discussion that will subsequently follow, the appropriate conclusions will be drawn for further action by all of us, whether we represent institutions or not, and of course what is needed is political will to be demonstrated by the state to act in this direction, namely the existence and implementation of a progressive policy that embraces modern working parents.

Thank you