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Having the honour as Commissioner for Gender Equality to contribute to our country's gender-integrated policies, we certainly could not fail to look at how the climate and energy crisis affects women and men differently - how the impact is disproportionate.
I welcome you to today's conference and thank the Commissioner for Environment, dear Maria for her cooperation.
We live in a time when gender roles based on stereotypes and prejudices are still part of our lives and every sector has a gender perspective. This became even clearer during the coronavirus pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine that changed the energy map, and the conflict in our neighborhood. All of the above directly brings the gender dimension to the surface, with women being victims of violence, rape and trafficking.
At the same time, the climate and energy crisis affects women differently from men. Women over 60 live on the poverty line. Women work proportionately much more in part-time work and because they are either in part-time or full-time work, they have to take on multiple roles and invisible work, the so-called care economy, with women in part-time work spending much more time at home. At the same time, rural women, women farmers, are in invisibility with the profession experiencing frightening changes both because of the climate and energy crisis and with new technologies entering the profession. Women in Cyprus, one in five, face some form of violence including economic violence. That is, in a house there are cases where since men handle the economy of the house, they are the ones who decide when and how the air conditioners and heating will be used.
Bearing all the above in mind, the result is that women make use of household appliances and adjust the air conditioners and heating on the basis of different data than men. Therefore, any policy and measures we take should be aimed at both men and women.
To this end, friends, we have decided to join forces with the Commissioner for the Environment and co-organise today's event, during which, for the first time, the acceleration of the promotion of gender equality at national and regional level is being discussed, at least in a public debate, wearing different hats but with a common goal: to accelerate the promotion of gender equality at national and regional level. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the speakers, with special thanks to Mrs Salma Al Nims, with whom we have been working for the last few years.
At the same time, friends, in our efforts to mainstream gender in government policies and actions, namely in all Ministries and Deputy Ministries and through the new tasks of the Office regarding the preparation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the new National Strategy for Gender Equality 2024-2026 and recognizing that on some issues we need to start with some basic actions, we have incorporated the following relevant actions related to the issue under discussion:
[*]Study on gender mainstreaming in energy policies. [*]Creation of financial-economic and digital education programmes for rural women.
On 4 December 2023, the day dedicated to gender equality, I participated in the Climate Change Summit (COP 28). It is now clear that women and men are affected differently by the climate and energy crisis and this is recognised in the global arena. The Republic of Cyprus has joined other countries in signing the Gender Responsive Just Transitions and Climate Action Partnership Pledge, the aim is exactly what is described in the title, including the promotion of women in decision-making centres, as this way actions and policies can be gender-responsive. This is also the role of our Office. To include, in cooperation with the Ministries and Deputy Ministries, this dimension in their policies and actions until a culture of equality is established. We have recognised the problem and through partnerships and dialogue with wider civil society and academic institutions, as we are doing today, but also by being outward-looking, we are integrating the gender dimension into our policies.
I am confident that the conclusions of the conference will strengthen our efforts to promote gender equality in our country.
(AF/MS)
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