It is truly a special pleasure and honor to address the most human potential of the country, which we recognize and try to address any problems or inequalities that are observed or observed.
In your person, everyone recognizes the mother, the companion, the daughter. He also recognises the worker, the fighter of life, the heroine of the country. The heroine of our life.
Speaking of heroines, one's thoughts and feelings of pain are really directed at this moment to a war that men have once again organized, against women, against children, against humanity in general. I want to apologise on behalf of those who use violence to impose their self-centred or arrogant syndromes. I hope that peace will soon prevail in Ukraine as well.
Undoubtedly, the dynamism that distinguishes women allows them to successfully serve the multiple roles and responsibilities they assume on a daily basis, despite any adversity.
This dynamism, together with the skills, patience and perseverance that characterise you, have been transformed into passion and diligence, recording significant successes and achievements.
These achievements and the generally successful activity of women in all aspects of private and public life, without exception, have led to the respect, recognition and exploitation of their abilities.
It is this respect that consciously led me, during the formation of my Government and the first and especially the second, to utilize in key posts and positions of responsibility a significant number of women, larger than at any other time in the life of the Republic of Cyprus.
I should mention that the Cabinet includes five distinguished ladies, while for the first time we are pleased to have a young woman who has been elected Speaker of the Parliament. This is an achievement, this is something you should realize. I have said this on previous similar occasions to women. You are registrationally 50 percent of the population. It is up to you to represent the female gender or to choose or elect whomever you wish. Give preference to established women who when they are involved in politics we get much better results than when we get involved a lot of times. I do not underestimate men, I do not underestimate the capabilities and abilities of men, but I have never underestimated and I fully respect the abilities, capabilities, stubbornness and perseverance, but also the special diligence of women.
Steps have been taken in the right direction when you consider that 50 per cent of the Commissioners out of a total of about ten are women.
At the same time, the presence of women in the Presidencies and members of the Boards of Directors of the Semi-State Organizations has increased significantly. They exceed 35 percent.
We are trying in every way to strengthen the presence because we trust the presence of women. We are trying in every way to secure rights and I will make a brief reference to how we have succeeded taking into account the rights in terms of work and especially the reduction of the pay gap so that in Cyprus there is a continuous improvement over time.
I have heard about the indicators. I was saddened that we are in 20th place. This is due, as the Equality Commissioner said, to the non-participation of women in positions of responsibility, particularly in the Parliamentary Assembly.
In terms of guaranteeing rights, particularly the reduction of the pay gap, according to the latest and revised figures of the Statistical Office for 2019, the percentage of this gap is now at 10.1%, compared to the EU average of 14.1%.
This positive development ranks Cyprus in the 7th best position among the EU Member States, with a significant rise in Cyprus' position in recent years, having achieved a significant reduction in the pay gap, as it has decreased from 15.6% in 2012 when we took office to 10.1%.
Accordingly, we attach particular importance to the implementation of actions and policies to combat and eliminate all forms of violence and all forms of inequality, discrimination and exploitation against women.
I do not believe that we have done what we owe to do for women, what we owe in order to repay what we owe to you.
Today's symbolic day is but a reminder of the obligation of everyone in power to see how we achieve even more until we reach the point where there is full but complete equality between men and women or between women and men.
(PM/MG/EHR)
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