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- Ελληνικά
Your Excellency, Mr President of the Republic of Cyprus
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers
Honourable Commissioners,
First of all, I would like to thank you all for our cooperation. Since March until today, actions and policies to promote equality between women and men have been adopted and implemented and gender equality issues have been highlighted in all Ministries and Deputy Ministries. The political will as well as the positive response to every call of our Office to eliminate all forms of gender discrimination is always, in my personal opinion, an important element for changing attitudes and culture.
The rolling out of actions and practices in every Ministry and Deputy Ministry, which sometimes consciously and sometimes unconsciously have a positive impact on our daily lives, could not have been possible without the invaluable contribution of all the Equality Officers appointed in every Ministry and Deputy Ministry. The Equality Officers contribute significantly to the horizontal integration of the gender dimension in our policies and actions and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for our excellent teamwork.
Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Commissioners,
Our country remains low in the European Union's gender equality indicators. The indicators are a tool that can help us to improve. But let us not expect our country's ranking in indicators and reports for improvement regarding the promotion of gender equality.
The Policy Statement we are signing today is intended to reaffirm our political will to promote gender equality, but also the zero tolerance the government has for any sexist or harassing behaviour on the basis of gender, both among staff and visitors to Ministries and Deputy Ministries.
To implement all of the above, we utilize the tool of gender mainstreaming in the activities of each Ministry, Deputy Ministry and Commissioner's Offices. A parallel objective is to raise awareness that gender mainstreaming means recognizing the different needs of women and men in the design, implementation, evaluation, and impact of our policies and actions on both genders. The ultimate goal is to create an environment for a healthy society and economy, equal for all.
To this end, all staff will be informed about the Policy Statement, which will be posted in prominent places in the Ministries and Deputy Ministries and on their websites, so that it is visible on a daily basis to staff and visitors of the Ministries and Deputy Ministries.
Today, with the signing of the Political Declaration, we are taking another step forward in our efforts to accelerate the promotion of equality between women and men in our country.
Thank you.
(EAT/NG)
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