Dear All,
We would like to welcome you to the website of the Cyprus Gender Research Centre (EKIF).
We hope that this website will serve as a platform of communication between EKIF and other networks and organizations in Cyprus and abroad thus helping to establish co-operation and linkages on a national, regional and international basis targeting a more balanced representation of both sexes in all walks of life.
EKIF is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, which aims, interalia, to
promote equality and equal opportunities between men and women and reconciliation between work and private life
encourage respect and co-operation between citizens irrespective of gender, ethnicity, race and religion
carry out research on issues of gender and equality in order to underline the need for change and more democratic values and citizenship
organise activities and functions which will help to transform long-held perceptions on gender and eliminate discrimination in the social, cultural, educational and political spheres
EKIF (reg. no 2874) is a Member of the National Machinery for Women of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order.
The Centre has been active in organising events, research projects and interventions, which aim at highlighting and combating gender discrimination and promoting women’s empowerment.
More information on our activities can be found in the Activities page and for current events and projects, please visit the Newsletter of our website: www.ekif.org
EKIF is open to all people and organisations interested in issues of equality and democratic values. If you are interested in becoming a member, please fill in the Registration Form, which can be found in the Contact Us page of our website.
The President and the Members of the Board of Directors are at your disposal for any further information you might need or opportunities for collaboration and networking.
Dr Despina Charalambidou-Solomi
President EKIF
Latest activities by EKIF
Η Πρόεδρος και τα Μέλη
του Διοικητικού Συμβουλίου
του Ερευνητικού Κέντρου Ισότητας Φύλου
σας εύχονται
Καλή Χρονιά με Υγεία, Ευτυχία & Δημιουργικότητα
The President and Members of the EKIF Board
are wishing you
Season’s Greetings & Best Wishes for the New Year
Gender Equality Index 2022: Gender Equality under Threat, Specific Groups Hardest Hit
The freshly launched Gender Equality Index 2022 reveals that progress continues at a snails' pace, with a mere 0.6-point increase since last year's edition. As a result, the EU average score now stands at 68.6 out of 100 points, only 5.5 points higher than in 2010.
EIGE Director, Carlien Scheele said: "What is most pressing is that this year's score has taken a turn with decreases in several areas for the first time since 2010. This requires urgent scrutiny, as our results show that specific groups of people, who tend to be in more vulnerable situations during times of crises, are most at risk, where stark gendered inequalities compound the issue. We cannot afford to lose our sight on gender equality.
Discover the scores for each EU Member State and the key highlights in the report here.
Feminist News: This one's for the girls
10 October 2022
Send your stories to baselovic@womenlobby.org | Read the newsletter in your browser
Welcome to the Feminist News, a bi-weekly newsletter brought to you by the European Women's Lobby. For more regular updates about our work and the topics of women's rights and gender equality, follow us on Twitter!
Day of the Girl
Everyday struggle. The International Day of the Girl Child will be marked on Tuesday, 11 October. From child marriage and forced genital mutilation to sexual exploitation and harassment, girls around the world face obstacles to healthy, safe and happy childhoods every day.
The grim statistics. Up to 10 million girls are at risk of child marriage, and girls are primary victims of sexual exploitation. Sexism and discrimination affect their education and opportunities as well, as the global internet user gender gap grew from 11% in 2013 to 17% in 2019, and the percentage of women among STEM graduates is below 15% in over two-thirds of the world (source: The SDGs Report 2021).
The world as it should be. To mark the Day of the Girl Child, a coalition of CSOs is organising the European Week of Action for Girls (EWAG) for the 10th year. On Tuesday, they will open the exhibition titled "10 in 10 - the World Through the Eyes of a Girl." The art portraying a future world where girls can feel safe and empowered will be displayed until Friday, 14 October at the Esplanade of the European Parliament in Brussels.
It's okay not to be okay
Mens sana. Today we mark World Mental Health Day. Since 1992, the global community has been uniting to raise awareness about the importance of mental health on this day. This year, Mental Health Europe (MHE) is shedding light on the specific realities of migrants and refugees.
Focus on the vulnerable. 61% of refugees are considered to be in highly vulnerable psychological situations and another 27% in vulnerable psychological situations. Today from 14h00 to 16h00 CEST, MEP Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA) and MEP Estrella Durá Ferrandis (S&D) will join MHE in hosting an event to discuss good practices, challenges and ways to ensure adequate mental health support in the context of increased migration across Europe.
Time to log off. The European Disability Forum also hosted a discussion on the effects of social media on mental health with the representatives from Meta and Euro Youth Mental Health. Read some of the main findings below 👇
Woman. Life. Freedom.
Defiance in Tehran. Ever since the news of Mahsa Amini's arrest and death spread in September, protests in support of the women in Iran and their fight for equality and basic human rights have been held both in Iran and across the globe. Although many organisations and institutions, including the European Women's Lobby, have called for immediate cease of violence against women, dozens of protesters have been killed by the Iranian authorities in the last three weeks, and even more have been unlawfully detained.
Taking a stance. In her speech during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg last Tuesday, Swedish MEP Abir Al-Sahlani (Renew) called for an end of violence against the people of Iran. Al-Sahlani ended her speech by cutting her hair, which has become a symbol resistance to oppression and the rules of compulsory hijab for women.
MEPs speak up. In a resolution adopted on Thursday, the MEPs strongly condemned the mistreatment of Mahsa Amini and called for an impartial, effective and independent investigation into her tragic death. The resolution urges the EU to sanction Iranian officials involved in both Mahsa Amini’s death and the violence against protestors, under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
Today, MEPs on the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and guest speakers will discuss women’s role in the ongoing rights and freedoms protests in Iran. The discussion can be followed live here from 16h45 CEST.
Coming up
On Tuesday, 18 October we will mark EU Anti-Trafficking Day, with the aim to raise awareness on trafficking in human beings and increase the exchange of information, knowledge and best practices.
The European Parliament will hold its third European Gender Equality Week during the week of 24 October. The MEPs will discuss how to enhance the progress towards women's empowerment and gender equality and give visibility and recognition to gender mainstreaming in all policy areas.
On 24 and 25 October, the European Institute for Gender Equality will host the the first-ever Gender Equality Forum. The Forum will identify and break through roadblocks on the path towards a gender-equal European Union and provide a platform to share evidence and expertise related to gender equality issues with high-level political decision-makers, practitioners and civil society.
An exhibition titled “Art Herstory: Female perspectives in the European Parliament’s Contemporary Art Collection” will be displayed between 24 October 2022 until 8 March 2023 at the Parlamentarium in Brussels.
Beyond words
Author: Marco Melgrati | @m_melgrati