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- Ελληνικά
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Anita Demetriou, in her capacity as Ambassador of the Political Leaders Network on behalf of the House of Representatives, was a keynote speaker at a roundtable discussion on "Reinventing Leadership for the 21st Century", as part of her participation in the Political Leaders Summit.
During the discussion, there was an exchange of views on ways for politicians to respond to the emerging needs and expectations of their constituents, the opportunities and challenges arising from technological developments, ways to restore citizens' trust in democratic institutions, as well as measures that policymakers can take to enhance transparency and accountability.
The Speaker referred to the obstacles she faced in her capacity as the first and youngest woman Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus, stressing that strengthening women's representation in leadership is vital. She noted that all women worldwide face the same obstacles in their path to leadership positions.
Subsequently, the President of the Parliament noted that the statistical data demonstrates the reversal of progress and acquired rights of women in the field of gender equality, as a result of the war conflicts unfolding around the world, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the flare-up in the Middle East and the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. In particular, Demetriou pointed out that in the light of war conflicts, discussions are focused on ending wars, defending human rights and the prevalence of peace. In this regard, Demetriou stressed the need to send a strong political message to prioritise gender equality issues in the debates. In this context, Demetriou stressed the need for immediate implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the situation of women in armed conflict, as well as raising public awareness of the need for gender balance in politics and leadership through the promotion of female role models and strong networks of cooperation among women.
Furthermore, the Speaker of the Parliament stressed that the joint action of Cypriot women MPs resulted in the adoption by the House of Representatives of pioneering legislation to combat sexism and the criminalisation of the specific offence of femicide. In addition, Ms Demetriou pointed out that the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women are among the high priorities of both herself and the House of Representatives. She also pointed out that despite the under-representation of women in the House of Representatives and the ideological differences between political parties, Cypriot women MPs are united in promoting gender equality. Subsequently, the Speaker of the Parliament referred to the joint initiative she took with the Speaker of the German Federal Parliament for the establishment of regular meetings of Women Speakers of Parliaments of Member States of the European Union.
In the margins of the session, the Speaker of the Parliament attended a working lunch with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Mr Theodoros Roussopoulos, with whom she discussed current international issues of mutual interest.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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