The Cyprus Women’s Lobby and the European Parliament office in Cyprus have joined forces to raise awareness for the need of greater gender balance in Cyprus’s representation to the EP.
 
The action is part of a European Women’s Lobby campaign to promote the representation of women in decision-making centres.
Cyprus currently has one woman MEP who is seeking re-election but there is a risk that none of Cyprus’ six new MEPs will be a woman, Stella Kamitsi, president of the Cyprus Women’s Lobby said.
 
She told an event in Nicosia earlier this week that even the current representation – one woman MEP or 17% — was the second lowest among EU Member States.Gender equality was one of the five core values of the EU, she noted as she stressed the importance of women participating in the decision-making process.   
 
Alexandra Attalidou, spokeswoman for the European Parliament office in Cyprus said that gender equality of politics was essential not only in order to defend social justice and the rights of women, but as an essential prerequisite to effective democracy and good governance.
 
Even women’s participation in politics was a basic EU target women remain under-represented in democratic institutions in member states and in Brussels. This constitutes a serious democratic deficit that must be resolved both at the level of national governments and the European Parliament itself where currently only 37% of MEPs are women.
 
 A lot still needed to be done as regards education, boosting diversity and building a culture of inclusiveness.
Studies show that women are to a large extent victims of bullying online and for this reasons many opt not to speak out and as result the voice of women is not heard, something which is of concern to the EU, she added.
 
Edited by Bouli Hadjioannou