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- Ελληνικά
The proceedings of the British Isles and Mediterranean Regional Conference of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) began today in Malta, with the participation of Councillor Savia Orphanidou, member of the Cypriot delegation to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
As a keynote speaker on the topic on the challenges facing Commonwealth women, Ms Orphanidou focused on the challenges faced by both women and young girls in war zones. She also argued that in times of war and conflict, existing discrimination and inequalities are significantly reinforced, while violence against women is increasing through torture, sexual abuse and displacement, as evidenced by the stories of thousands of women in the Middle East and Ukraine. She also noted the preparation of the first National Strategy and Action Plan for the Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence by the Cypriot government in 2023. Orphanidou noted that this year marks fifty years since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the ongoing illegal occupation and underlined the serious violations of international law and human rights by Turkey, making special reference to the suffering suffered by the women of Cyprus. Orphanidou referred in particular to the issue of missing persons, which is the most tragic aspect of the Cyprus problem. Noting, in this context, the difficulties faced in its mission by the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP), she stressed the need to exert pressure on Turkey to ascertain the fate of the last missing person, which will alleviate the suffering of many families.
Regarding conflict prevention and resolution processes, the Cypriot councillor underlined the under-representation of women in these processes and highlighted the multi-level and essential contribution of women, especially in understanding the dynamics of conflicts and in designing effective conflict resolution strategies. Orphanidou stressed the urgency of the immediate implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 by all countries in order to ensure the equal participation of women in peace processes.
Finally, Orphanidou underlined the role that parliaments can play in the protection of human rights, especially for vulnerable groups, through relevant legislation and the exchange of know-how from international and regional organisations. Finally, she noted the importance of education in terms of empowering women and girls, as well as the need to enact legislation to reduce gender-based violence and ensure women's access, in this context, to health care and psychosocial support.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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