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- Ελληνικά
On behalf of the Committee for Gender Equality in Employment and Vocational Education, I welcome you to today's award ceremony for the students of Primary, Secondary General and Secondary Technical and Vocational Education and Training schools.
For several years now, our Committee, in cooperation with the Pedagogical Institute and the Interdepartmental Gender Committee, has been conducting this competition, aiming to raise awareness among students about gender equality in work and education and gender stereotypes.
At this point, I would like to thank the Pedagogical Institute and the Interdepartmental Gender Committee for the excellent cooperation we have every year, but also for the innovative actions they carry out in general. This year, the Competition was significantly strengthened, since seminars on the topic of: "Deconstructing gender stereotypes that affect the choice of studies and profession", for the purpose of training and professional development of teachers interested in participating in the competition.
The Commission for Gender Equality in Employment and Vocational Training, with its experience through the cases it handles, considers the awareness of youth in the fight against gender stereotypes to be one of the most important, if not the most important weapon we have in our hands to promote gender equality, since through proper education and guidance, stereotypes and entrenched perceptions can be gradually eliminated, as well as socially shaped gender roles.
This year, students in our schools were asked to argue about the segregation of professions based on gender and to report on whether gender influences the choice of studies and professions. I must say that the children's views and positions made a particular impression on us and, as I say every year, we learn from the children's reports and we learn with them, since the innocence and empathy of children and young people teaches us and gives us the strength to continue to strive for a better future.
Characteristically, the children told us:
"The sexes are equal but not identical... Their differences are in no way an obstacle to the pursuit of any profession, since individual characteristics must be taken into account so that the individual can make the right career choice."
"If we are stereotyped from childhood through our games and activities or if we grow up in a gendered environment, all these factors may limit our ambitions, influence or even determine our choice of studies and careers."
Dear children,
Today's award ceremony is dedicated to all of you who participated in the competition. On behalf of the Committee for Gender Equality in Employment and Vocational Education, we congratulate you first of all for your excellent ideas and thank you for your participation in the competition.
Furthermore, we would like to thank all the teachers and all the teachers who helped the children with their entries in the competition.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the valuable help of Mrs. Hadjikakou and the members of the Pedagogical Institute and the Interdepartmental Gender Committee of the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus for the excellent cooperation we had this year as well. Let me personally thank Sophia Vlami, Konstantinos Papageorgiou and Floria Valanidou for their valuable contribution and cooperation.
(ΕΠ/NZ)
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