Gender equality is an essential pillar of peace, sustainable development, and democracy and has advanced across several institutional levels in recent years, gender equality commissioner Josie Christodoulou said on Friday at an event marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration on women’s rights.
“Equality between women and men is not just a goal, it is a promise made by the international community – a promise we must keep,” she said.
The commissioner then outlined key measures promoting gender equality through institutional reforms and concrete actions in Cyprus in recent years.
Christodoulou said that the establishment of the commission for gender equality in 2014, along with the national mechanism for women’s rights under the justice ministry, and the strengthening of both bodies through increased budgets, were crucial steps forward.
She added that the gender dimension has been integrated into the state budget and related policies, while government funding has supported initiatives promoting the rights of women and girls, as well as the work of civil society organisations.
Gender equality will also be a priority during Cyprus’ EU Council presidency beginning on January 1, 2026. Particular focus, she said, as particular attention will be given to combating online violence against girls, an issue highlighted in two of the Beijing Declaration’s areas of concern.
A statement issued in December 2024 by the secretariat of the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU 2026 reaffirmed the trio presidency’s commitment – shared with Denmark and Poland – to gender parity.
“The trio will strive to promote gender equality and equal opportunities for all, strengthen social dialogue and collective bargaining, and pursue policies that reduce inequalities at all levels,” the statement read.
However, concrete measures have yet to be announced.
The Beijing Declaration is a comprehensive global framework identifying twelve key areas of concern in the fight against gender inequality.
It guides governments and stakeholders in developing policies across sectors including education, health, armed conflict and institutional mechanisms.
The United Nations describes it as “the most progressive blueprint for advancing women’s rights.” Cyprus is among the 189 countries that signed the declaration at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.
Following Friday’s event, members of the national mechanism for women’s rights signed a declaration reaffirming their commitment to both the Beijing Declaration and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), adopted by the UN in 1979 and ratified by Cyprus in 1985.
