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- Ελληνικά
The President of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women, Mr. Irene Charalambidou yesterday addressed the Plenary of the House of Representatives on a resolution tabled by the said Committee for adoption by the House, following an item she had signed and which is an outgrowth of a debate held during a session of the Committee, on 'Women in international peace and security - from theory to practice', last November, with the participation of women officials, Ambassadors or Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Cyprus, academics and representatives of civil society.
In her speech, Ms. Charalambidou stressed that women and girls have always been used as human shields during conflicts and sexual and gender-based violence, to a large extent, as a weapon of war. She pointed out that the women of Cyprus, who experienced the brutality of the invader in 1974, also suffered these sufferings.
Charalambidou stressed, however, that women are not only victims of conflicts, but also the main protagonists of peace. The women of Cyprus, she stressed, have actively demonstrated their desire for reunification with marches that broke the occupation cordon and by playing an important role in bi-communal meetings and activities.
Charalambidou stressed that women are claiming their rightful place in diplomacy, politics and the economy and that this place cannot be on the margins of official peace processes and outside the decision-making halls. She stressed that it is imperative to ensure the participation of women in decision-making processes at the highest level, in the Cyprus negotiating teams and in the Technical Committees.
The President of the Commission on Human Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men noted that although progress has been made towards the equal participation of women in peace and security issues, it remains slow, as participation in decision-making centres is a matter of power, which no one wants to share. "This is the best mark of honour for International Women's Day, not red carnations and roses, which we have plenty of."
(Text as sent from the House of Representatives)
For the text of the Resolution, click here.
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