Address by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs.Anita Demetriou, at the event of the Cyprus Editors' Union in honour of the women journalists officials of the Cyprus Editors' Union
Wednesday, 8 March 2023, 10.00 a.m, Journalist Hestia
"There is no greater agony than to have a story untold inside you" says the woman who sang, spoke, wrote, lived and inspired with all her strength. Maya Angelou.
So it is a great honour to be among you today, 8 March, International Women's Day. Among women who have chosen not to remain silent, but to speak out about the unspeakable, to record their anguish when the scars of events are still fresh in the air. Women who chose either with their voice or with their pen to carve out paths, to break barriers, to take on the establishment. Choosing to serve in their lives what they love. What we define as the profession of journalism. Without counting hours, without considering consequences at personal cost, and often sacrificing the obvious.
Dear Mr. President of the Cyprus Union of Journalists,
Dear Madam Deputy Government Spokesperson,
Dear Madam Commissioner for Legislation,
Dear Madam Commissioner for Data Protection,
Dear Madam President of the Cyprus Broadcasting Authority,
Dear Mr. Director General of the Cyprus Broadcasting Foundation,
Dear Representative of the Press and Information Office,
Dear Ladies Journalist Officers,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are here to honour the women journalist officers of the Cyprus Union of Journalists. Mrs. Maroula Violari-Iakovidou, who is a historical chapter for our Cyprus. The first female journalist, who also acted as "Nefeli" during the liberation struggle 55-59, and through her actions and writings she lived and recorded all the historical steps of our country. Ladies Nancy Palala, Androula Taramunda, Elli Kotzamanis, Kika Kasinidou, Paula Sponta, Lenia Karatzia, Androula Georgiadou, Zoe Telografou, Maria Papalazarou-Fragou, Elena Stavrou and Tonia Stavrinou. A symbolic gesture today as a minimal sign of recognition and admiration for the excellent work they have done and/or still do, leaving their imprint on public discourse and the journalistic profession.
At this point, I would like to thank the Cyprus Union of Journalists for the invitation and congratulate it for the active role it has played in the Cypriot reality since 1959, the year of its foundation, until today. Its membership exceeds five hundred, of which almost two hundred are women.
Today's day is a reminder of the hard and enduring struggles women have made to gain a voice and a voice in the social and political fabric. Nothing has been given to them. Nothing was taken for granted. They had to assert their rights, defend themselves, confront prejudice and sexist attitudes, stand up and claim their rightful place in predominantly male-dominated environments... Every step was and still is a battle. And every victory is a victory for all. A victory for the new generation that needs to articulate a voice and a voice to build the future they dream of.
So we bow to the women who have become role models. We bow to the women who become role models every day. To all women who fight for the small and the big. The values of equality and equality are priceless, basic human rights that should not be questioned.
Dear friends,
I am sure that you, as female members of the journalism community, have also faced and may face discrimination and/or threatening climates on a daily basis in the performance of your duties. A climate designed to limit the efficiency and outcome of your work with a disproportionate impact on any attempt to objectively report the facts. Unequal working conditions, sexist comments, misogyny, sexual harassment in the workplace and femicide are risks that are often invisible and not recognised, as they should be, by most colleagues, the media and government authorities. Therefore, the lack of prevention and protection against gender-based violence, particularly in the professional environment, makes it difficult both to adequately address specific situations experienced by women journalists and to effectively ensure the exercise of their right to freedom of speech, which is a prerequisite for democracy.
As the House of Representatives, we support freedom of expression as an inalienable human right, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We support the media and communication media in their mission, which is none other than to inform citizens correctly, objectively and directly and to control power, always on the basis of the provisions of the Code of Journalistic Ethics. By extension, we condemn any attempt at censorship and malicious restriction of speech under conditions of fear and intolerance, as well as deliberate misinformation of the public. Finally, through our legislative work we must protect and promote the preservation of the constitutional right to speech, pluralism and the faithful transmission of the truth.
Particularly today, when the dissemination of false and fabricated news has become a scourge of the times, with the aim of driving public opinion... Today, when fake news spreads faster than real news, invading and corrupting our lives, creating an unprecedented addiction to falsehood and discrediting the truth, we must step forward and activate safety valves and resistances. We must seek, in synergy with the other EU Member States, mechanisms and regulations, through holistic policies and information and enlightenment campaigns, to protect citizens from misinformation.
Dear Friends
In your person today we honour all women journalists in Cyprus, but also all those who serve truth and freedom of expression against authoritarian illiberal regimes, putting their own lives in direct danger every day, word for word.
In closing, I will quote a public statement by Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa: "Do not be afraid! If you do not exercise your rights, you will lose them."
Thank you for becoming our voice with your pen and your critical word. I wholeheartedly wish each of you individually upwardly mobile careers, health and happiness.
(Text as sent from the House of Representatives)
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