"We, the women of Cyprus, express our determination to stand and work together to defend our human rights in their entirety, to give another example of common struggle, to give hope and perspective for the empowerment of women, the elimination of stereotypes, but also to confront all forms of division and fight for the reunification of the island and our people," POGO and T/C PKK women's organizations said in a joint statement on the occasion of March 8, Women's Day.
They regret the fact that for almost five years now, substantial negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus problem have not resumed. "We reiterate that a comprehensive, just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem is the catalyst for a more hopeful, equal and prosperous future for all Cypriots and express our deep concern about the prolonged deadlock and the detrimental effects of the current status quo on both communities."
The two women's organizations state that they demand the resumption of the negotiation process in full alignment with the UN parameters, the joint statement of the two leaders dated 11 February 2014, the guidelines of the UN Secretary General's 6-point framework dated 30 June 2017, and all the convergences reached at the Crans-Montana conference in 2017.
However, the joint statement continues, "guided by our common past, full of bright examples of coexistence, cooperation and common struggles in also difficult times, we pledge our faith in our common future, in the well-being of all Cypriot women and in the role we can play as a global example of conflict resolution and peace." The future course for us and our country will not be challenged, it adds, and therefore "we call on the leaders of the two communities and all parties involved to abandon any unconstructive positions, any form of blame game and provocative actions and to resume negotiations on the long-agreed basis of a solution of a bicommunal, bizonal federation, with political equality as set out in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. At this critical juncture for the future of our country, we stress that the status quo that holds the prospects of a mutually acceptable solution hostage is unacceptable. Furthermore, it adds, we urge both parties to reach a solution that guarantees respect for the human rights of all Cypriots and ensures a move away from armament and militarisation. "We therefore recall our strong opposition to any forces promoting dichotomous ideas and actions that are counterproductive to the reunification of our country and our people."
They recall that UNSC Resolution 1325 affirms that peace cannot be maintained without the participation of women in decision-making and conflict resolution processes. "However, women's participation in the peace process and negotiations in Cyprus remains extremely limited and the consideration of gender issues has not been substantially taken into account except in the long-term Action Plan on Women's Participation in Negotiations, which was adopted only after being explicitly requested by the UN and without any dialogue with relevant stakeholders."
They express readiness, if requested, to contribute to the discussion of ways in which gender equality can be supported through the structures and ""Unfortunately, violence against women has seen a significant increase and the number of reported femicides has risen. Existing gender gaps in working conditions and unemployment among women have increased during the pandemic, largely due to the lack of targeted policies focused on preventing these otherwise easily foreseeable consequences." The pandemic, it adds, has revealed that gender inequality is an ongoing pandemic and revealed the huge gaps in gender mainstreaming and the absence of social policies that promote gender equality.
Source: CNA
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
