It is with great pleasure that I welcome today's press conference co-organised by the Cyprus Basketball Federation and the Commissioner for Equality, with the aim of signing a Memorandum of Understanding for the Promotion of Equality in Basketball.
The Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth (MESY) welcomes all actions that promote gender equality, as well as actions to restore justice and equality where such discrimination or inequality is observed. At the same time, it condemns any actions or decisions that create inequalities on the basis of gender discrimination. In particular, gender equality in the field of education and sport is an important parameter of the policy of the Ministry of Education and Sports and aims to improve the quality of the education system and education. Despite the significant progress that has been made in promoting the principle of gender equality in education and sport and in every aspect of our lives, it seems that we still have a long way to go to remove all gender injustices, exclusions and inequalities. That is why we are here today, to reiterate our determination to remove all conscious or unconscious gender injustice in education and sport.
It is noted that our Ministry operates the Interdepartmental Committee for the Promotion of Gender Equality and the Elimination of Stereotypes and Gender Discrimination in Education, which, through the Action Plan it draws up every three years, attempts to contribute to the prevention and management of gender racism.
At the same time, the Ministry's Anti-Racist Policy as well as the Policy for the Prevention and Management of Bullying clearly set gender, gender expression and gender identity of our students as vulnerability factors. The heads of school units are required to faithfully implement the above policies to protect children from any form of violence to which they may be subjected due to the above characteristics of their identity.
It is also noted that the Ministry is implementing, among other things, training for teachers on issues of transgender relations, holistic sex education, protection from racism, bullying, homophobia and transphobia.
It is also noted that the Ministry is implementing training for teachers on transgender issues, holistic sex education, protection from racism, bullying, homophobia and transphobia. In addition, the Health Education Curriculum contributes to the deconstruction of gender stereotypes and restrictions inherent in society. The shaping of perceptions of gender roles has its origins in the family, but is consolidated and reinforced at school and in sport. School and sport must not function as mechanisms for reproducing gender stereotypes but, on the contrary, must be a powerful means of combating, removing and deconstructing them, because they violate children's inherent right to fully develop their abilities, talents and interests.
At the same time, the signing by the Republic of Cyprus of International Conventions such as:
- the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child,
- the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, known as the Istanbul Convention,
- the Recommendations of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance,
- the European Parliament's most recent call for a European directive to prevent and combat all forms of gender-based violence,
are important binding instruments that contribute substantially to the formulation of our Ministry's policies for quality and inclusive education. The education system can and must reduce exclusion and inequalities while enriching itself with inclusive practices. This should, among other things, be pursued through a gender budget that ensures equal participation for both genders from the outset.
I would like to express my thanks to the Office of the Equality Commissioner and the Cyprus Basketball Federation for their cooperation and for the joint preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding for actions related to gender equality and equal participation of girls and boys.
I would like to express my thanks to the Office of the Equality Commissioner and the Cyprus Basketball Federation for their cooperation and for the joint preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding for actions related to gender equality and equal participation of girls and boys.
I wish wholeheartedly strength and good continuation to all and to all, in our educational, sporting and of course in our human work.
IP
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