Statement by the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies to the Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on the combined third, fourth, and fifth periodic reports of State parties

Madam Chair, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for giving us the opportunity to address the Committee. My name is Susana Pavlou, and I speak on behalf of the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies, an independent NGO based in Cyprus .

We would like to draw your attention to a number of critical points raised in the shadow report as well as propose some recommendations for more effective implementation of the articles of the Convention.

Elimination of Legal and Real Discrimination

In the case of Cyprus , where civil society is by general admission very weak, NGOs are not sufficiently involved in policy making. Although the government report states that newly set up committees are composed of NGOs among other institutions, it is not clear which NGOs are involved, in what capacity, or the criteria under which they are selected. The process is not transparent and raises the issue of accountability.

For example, the Government states that the Council of the NMWR consists of 13 women’s organizations. However, these organizations are almost all women’s departments of political parties and trade unions whose agendas tend to concentrate on the political situation in Cyprus in relation to the ethnic conflict and less so on gender equality. On most occasions, the various groups consist of the same members, who are often government officials as well.

Another example relates to the NAP on Trafficking in Women that the government claims was drafted with the contribution of NGOs. When asked by MIGS, however, one organization on this list of NGOs claimed they had not contributed at all toward the NAP and in fact did not work on issues of trafficking in women. Furthermore, we do not consider NGOs that are created by a decision of the Council of Ministers and almost entirely funded by the Cyprus government [as well as headed by it – the Minister of Justice] as independent NGOs that can sufficiently put pressure on the government to fulfill its obligations with regard to gender equality.

National Machinery for Women’s Rights

The NMWR is indeed working hard to achieve its objective; the reality though is that it remains under-funded and understaffed undermining its capacity to effectively implement its objectives.

Projects funded by the NMWR have been poorly publicized and their results poorly disseminated. It is quite unclear and in fact doubtful whether the projects were concluded by qualified individuals and the criteria with which they were selected.

Independent NGOs are absent from the Council for the NMWR and are nearly absent from policy making. One would wish to have examples of civil society involvement per se rather than obvious organizations which serve the government.

These issues notwithstanding, we commend the efforts of the National Machinery for Women’s Rights to draft a National Action Plan on Gender Equality and look forward to its publication.

We recommend that:

• The government further empower the role of the National Machinery for Women’s Rights by increasing its budget and human resources to better meet its objectives;
• We urge the government to involve independent NGOs in the policy making process and that this be done in a transparent [and I do stress transparent] way that promotes accountability.

Violence against Women

We recognise the many positive developments with regard to domestic violence that have taken place in Cyprus – both on a legislative level and in terms of raising awareness and commitment towards its prevention. We also recognise the NMWRs role in this.

Despite these achievements serious issues still remain. These include the lack of systematic analysis and research which impedes a true understanding of the extent of these crimes in Cyprus and their root causes. Furthermore state shelters and other premises for housing and handling victims are inadequate. There is currently only one shelter for battered women (run by an NGO), that suffers from lack of adequate funding and overcrowding.

Finally, other forms of violence against women need to be addressed in Cyprus such as rape, honour-related violence, sexual assault, trafficking and prostitution.

We recommend that:

• The government embarks on systematic plan of action for the prevention of violence;
• Provide sufficient funding for adequate shelters for housing and handling victims of violence;
• The government recognize other forms of violence against women and begin addressing them in an informed and systematic way.
• Systematic research on the extent of these crimes needs to be conducted to better understand the real dimensions of the problem and to better inform policy and support and prevention campaigns.

Trafficking in Women

Cyprus is both country of transit and destination for women trafficked from Central and Eastern Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Trafficked women, or “cabaret artists” as they are known in Cyprus, are victimised in the process of migration and forced into prostitution by traffickers who fraudulently recruit victims for work as entertainment dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term “artiste visas”. According to the report submitted by the Commissioner for Administration on trafficking in women in Cyprus , this is occurring with the full knowledge and complicity of the immigration authorities.

In 2002 2 , 000 women entered Cyprus each year on artiste visas to work in 108 cabarets and nightclubs that employ foreign “artistes”. These numbers are truly disproportionate to the population in Cyprus which is currently estimated at 700.000 .

Unfortunately, no research has been carried out that reveal the true extent of the trafficking in women in Cyprus . However, we cannot emphasise the seriousness of this issue, based on our observations and that of other NGOs and given the complicity of the government authorities and the society at large.

Although legislative measures for the combating of trafficking in human beings are adequate they are poorly implemented and monitored. Furthermore, legal provisions are inconsistent with the government policy of allowing the operation of establishments considered ‘high risk’ and the issuing of visas for the purpose of working in such ‘high risk’ establishments.

It is important to note here that legal provisions as they stand today do not recognise other forms of trafficking such as trafficking for labour exploitation. Not only does this entrench the stereotype that women are trafficked only for the purposes of sexual exploitation, but also renders other possible victims of trafficking invisible.

Also, we would like to emphasise that all forms of trafficking in women is demand driven. That is, demand for both commercial sexual services and the labour of domestic workers, for example, although not necessarily the primary cause of the problem perpetuates and sustains trafficking in women. Persisting gender discrimination and patriarchal societal norms and values allow this demand to thrive unchecked. For this reason, one of the most important challenges in the fight against trafficking in women is raising awareness and changing attitudes and behaviour.

Lastly, we cannot stress enough the need for adequate shelters for victims of trafficking that cater for their specific needs and offer them support and protection. The placing of victims in elderly peoples homes is a far cry from this. We urge the government to fulfill its obligations in this regard.

We recommend that:

• The government must take measures for the prevention of trafficking in women including prohibiting the operation of ‘high risk’ establishments as well as the issuing of ‘‘artiste’’ visas;
• Measures to deter and punish the purchaser of sexual services should be explored along the lines of the newly adopted Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings;

• Awareness campaigns need to be conducted targeting people’s perceptions and prejudices and enlightening the public on the true status of these women.

Education

Despite significant achievements in terms of equal access to education for women in Cyprus , women remain underrepresented in higher education and in decision making bodies as well as competitive research and development systems.

Gender segregation in secondary and higher education persists and reflects the structures of the gender division of labour in the economy. Furthermore, women remain under-represented in post-graduate programmes and working mothers, inactive and unemployed women face significant barriers in accessing further education.

Finally, the gender dimension is absent from the educational curriculum and women are all but invisible. The government also lacks a clear policy with regard to sex education.

We recommend that:

• The formation of a modern curriculum which will include gender dimensions and make women more visible;
• The government take measures encouraging girls (and boys) to contemplate non-stereotypical fields of study;
• The introduction, on a systematic basis, of sex education in secondary schools.

Political and Public Life

Despite the increasing numbers of women actively involved in politics, women remain severely underrepresented at all levels within the political and public life. The National Machinery for Women’s Rights has taken measures to promote women’s participation in political and public life and support women political candidates and we note the significant increase of women candidates in the parliamentary elections this year.

Despite these efforts, women who wish to participate in political and public life are faced with broad and multifaceted issues such as the absence of high quality and low cost child care and the unequal distribution of responsibility within the family. Other barriers include gender discrimination in the media, and the enduring conservative features of Cypriot society that result in the lack of confidence and support networks for women wishing to enter political life.

We recommend that:

• Awareness campaigns targeting the public emphasising the importance of the participation of women in politics;
• The introduction of a quota system of at least 70 : 30 gender balance among political candidates selected for general and local elections;
• Mechanisms to encourage the media to give equal opportunities and coverage to women candidates for general and local elections.

Employment

Despite recent reforms, particularly on the legislative level, aimed at equality between men and women in employment significant challenges remain. The 2006 Report on Equal Opportunities of Women and Men in the European Union demonstrates that Cyprus had the highest gender segregation in employment amongst all member states. Furthermore, although there has been some improvement in recent years in terms of gender convergence in pay, the gender wage gap remains the lowest among all EU member states with female monthly earnings 26 % less than male earnings.

We would like to take the opportunity here to refer to female migrant workers. Migrant women are largely absent from the Cyprus government report except in Article 6 – Trafficking in Women despite the recent mass flow of migrants, mostly form countries outside the EU, coming to Cyprus to work legally (or illegally) as domestic workers, carers, and in the agricultural and hospitality industries.

The Cyprus government has not adopted any concrete policies or strategies for the integration of migrants in the labour force and there are also serious deficiencies on the legislative and institutional levels with regard to the implementation and observance of the terms and conditions of their employment.

We recommend that:

• Measures are urgently be taken to reduce the gender wage gap by firstly addressing gender segregation and targeting sectors traditionally dominated by men, and informing employers of their obligations under the equal pay for equal work law;
• The government encourage and provide incentives to employers to adopt family friendly policies and work environments;
• Government campaigns encourage men to take on more responsibility in the home;

• The government revise the employment contracts of migrant workers and take urgent measures for their integration in the wider society.

Health

State hospitals carry out abortions on physical grounds only in clear violation of the law that allows termination of pregnancy in cases where there is a risk of physical or mental (or psychological) health. Abortions are performed without restriction only in private clinics but to those that can afford private health care.

No sexual and reproductive health services are offered by the state targeting the needs of special groups (migrants, youth etc).

We would like to take this opportunity to draw the Committee’s attention to a recent [April 30, 2006] article in the British newspaper The Observer where under the title "Cruel cost of the human egg trade", it is stated that "British women who desperately want to have babies are being sent to eastern Europe and Cyprus . There, clinics are thriving on the profits of fertility tourism. But donors in this egg harvest run hidden health risks.” Furthermore, the report reveals that donors are paid a pittance, if at all, and are not informed of the risks involved or given psychological counselling. We urge the government, as a matter of urgency, to conduct the relevant investigations into this matter and take measures accordingly.

We recommend that:

• The government improve family planning services and the availability of contraception also taking into account the needs of specific groups;
• Measures should be taken to ensure that the law on abortion is implemented to offer abortions in cases of risk to mental and psychological health;
• The government urgently investigate claims that donors of human eggs are being exploited in Cyprus for profits.

This page was last updated on July 16, 2006

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