AKEL on International Women’s Day
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 7th February 2017, Nicosia
On the occasion of 8th March, International Women’s Day, AKEL addresses a warm and militant greeting to all the women of Cyprus. We address our warm greetings to working woman, woman unemployed, mother, young woman, farmer, intellectual and retired women pensioner. We also extend a warm greeting to the many migrant women who are living and working in Cyprus.
The struggle for parity to date continues to be timely. Besides, the real meaning of 8th March is to be found in the struggle for social and labour rights, for equality of the sexes, for peace and social justice; in the struggle to eliminate all forms of oppression and discrimination that women suffer today at the level of employment, education and participation in socio-political life.
The economic crisis and the neoliberal, anti-social policies of the DISY-Anastasiades government has led to a sharp increase in precarious work and part-time employment. It is women who are mainly employed in these jobs, suffering double exploitation and oppression, both as working women and as women. At the same time, an increase in violence against women is being recorded.
AKEL assures that it will continue to stand on the side of women and will support the women’s movement and its demands. AKEL marches together with the women’s movement in its struggles to defend basic labour rights, the social pension and the welfare state in general. It backs the National Mechanism for Women’s Rights and mainly the programs and mechanisms promoting gender equality, the implementation of the Gender Equality Charter in local government and the speeding up of the implementation of the National Cancer Treatment Strategy.
AKEL welcomes the fact that on the occasion of International Women’s Day Greek Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot women’s organizations have decided to organize a common celebration of 8th March under the slogan “Forward to peace – Hade Baris”. We call on Cypriot women, and our people in general, to participate in this event.
