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Women, Peace and Culture in the Common Cultural

Course of the Eastern Mediterranean

Women Without Frontiers

Sept. 2008 - Rhodes Island

Contemporary Cypriot Women: Current situation,

an example of bi-communal cooperation -concerns and future perspectives

Merope Iacovou-Kapsali, Biran Mertan and Martha Apostolidou

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Women, Peace and Culture in the Common CulturalCourse of the Eastern Mediterranean

Women Without Frontiers

2008 -Rhodes Island

CURRENT SITUATION OF CYPRIOT WOMEN

Biran Mertan

Associate Professor in Developmental Psychology

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WOMENCYPRIOT

SOCIETY

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As in all of the developing societiesof the world, the social structure ofthe Cypriot Society is changing

rapidly and continuously.

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Mother

Sister

Woman

Daughter

EmployedWoman

Spouse

Friend

Ascribed & achieved status

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6

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DIFFICULTIES?

TRADITIONS(+ -)

LARGE FAMILY

STRUCTURE

(+ -)

LIVING IN ASMALL

SOCIETY

(+ -)

POLITICAL

INSTABILITY

(- -)

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A thousand years between them;Date of Birth: 970

Profession: Farmer

Height: 1.56Weight: 47

Clothing:A linen tunic

and a veil

Life expectancy: 40

Age of marriage: 15No. of Children: 10-12

Priorities:

To provide food for her

family

Sexual Slogan: Restrain

yourself

Date of Bir th : 1970

Profession: Civil

Servant

Height: 1.64

Weight: 57.9

Clothing: Jeans &

sweater

Life expectancy: 82Age of marriage: 30

No. of Children: 1 or 2

Priorities:

To provide peace

within the family and at

work

Sexual Slogan:

To be satisfied in

sexual intercourse

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kacakarlar

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Gender issues and gender awareness ina patriarchal society (i.e. the control ordominance of women by men) such as

Cyprus are difficult topics to raise.Cypriot women and men spend much oftheir time with people of their owngender because of the way by whichwork and families are organized.

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The spatial separation of women andmen reinforces gender differences,identity and ways of thinking and

behaving. Consequently Cypriot menrefuse to recognize the fact that Cypriotwomen have a significant contributionto make toward reconciliation andpeace.

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During these last decades Cypriotwomen have not only struggled fordirect and indirect discrimination

against women but also struggled tobuild a culture of peace and find asolution to the Cyprus problem" from agender perspective.

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Republic of Cyprus

1960

1963

1974

1983

2003

2004

?

Openning of Ganjelli (cancello)

Referandum-EU membership

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15

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LawsLaws signedsigned byby thethe

RespectiveRespective ParliamentsParliaments

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InIn thethe NorthNorth

The Department of Women StudiesThe Department of Women Studies(25 February 2002)

Family (Marriage and Divorce) LawFamily (Marriage and Divorce) Law(26 January 1998)

The Convention on the Elimination of All FormsThe Convention on the Elimination of All Formsof Discrimination Against Womenof Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)(CEDAW)(8 March 1996)

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In the South TheThe EqualEqual TreatmentTreatment of Menof Men andand WomenWomen inin

EmploymentEmployment andandVocationalVocational TrainingTraining LawLaw (L.205(1)/2002)

TheThe EqualEqual PayPay betweenbetween MenMen andand WomenWomen forfor thethe

SameSame WorkWorkoror forfor WorkWorkofof EqualEqualValueValue LawLaw(L. 177(1)/2002)

TheThe ConventionConvention onon thethe EliminationElimination ofofAllAll FormsForms ofof

DiscriminationDiscriminationAgainstAgainst WomenWomen,,ratified by Law 1 (111)/2002)

TheThe NationalNational MachineryMachinery forfor WomenWomenss RightsRights

(1994)

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Organs/bodies/committees/structures

in the public sector promotinggender equality

Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman)

National Institution for the Protection of HumanRights

Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence

Gender Equality Committee in Employment and

Vocational Training Investigation and Assessment of Work

Committee under the Equal Pay Legislation

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Women Research Centers

Center for Women Studiesin Eastern Mediterranean

University. The center is anon profit research-oriented organization.

KADIN/WOMAN 2000KADIN/WOMAN 2000

http/cws.emu.edu.tr

Mediterranean Institute ofGender Studies in

Intercollege. The Instituteis a non profit research-oriented organization.

www.medinstgenderstudies.org

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In Cyprus there are many Womensorganizations, Trade Unions and otherNon-Governmental Organizations, active

in the promotion of womens rights andequal opportunities.

Most of these NGOs are affiliated to

political parties!.. No female president of political party

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During these vibrant and unresolved politicaland historical milieu for many years severalwomen organizations instead of giving thepriority to womens right issues they rather

spend time and energy on nationalisticmovement of respective governments.

Of course not all women groups were in line

with national politic movements However, many women conformed to general

political inclinations

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Due to the divided situation of Cyprus,there was no direct social interactionbetween the South and the North for

many years.

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In the early1990s

With the main focus to empower Cypriot women,several bi-communal women groups have beenformed and women from different backgrounds havecome together to discuss and propose a genderbased solution to the Cyprus problem...

The works of these bi-communal groups have helpedCypriot women to become aware of their own powerand develop an enthusiasm towards doing something

for women by women and also contribute to thereapprochmentof the two societies.

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These first bi-communal

meetings had two mainimportant functions:

bringing the people of Cyprus together

and showing politicians there was awillingness for peace from Cypriots

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During these periods ofrestriction and prohibition

Problem of finding a meeting place Cypriot women met at the buffer zone venue of

Pyla, a mixed village, Ledra palace

no direct phone lines used internet communication, when face to face

contact was not possible,

language obstacles speak a third obligatory language, English

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Conditions under whichmeetings were held:

those volunteer Cypriots willing toattend these bi-communal meetings

had to confront some difficulties comingfrom their own authorities

Stigmatized as traitors

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If we look at governing bodies on bothsides, the policy makers and authorityfigures are in majority male!

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By simply looking at the number offemale deputies in the parliament andother decision making positions on both

sides, one can judge the involvement ofCypriot women in the political arena.

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Member of Parliament

5650TOTAL

4747MEN

9(16.0%)

3(6.0%)

WOMEN

SOUTH

2008

NORTH

2008

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Number of Government Ministries

1111

101011

SOUTH

2008

NORTH

2008

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Among the 27 EU countries the averagerepresentation of women in EU parliament is

Nearly 1/3 (785 seats).

In the North 6 % (3/50)

In the South 16.0 % (9/56)

However, in the North for the first time Speakerof the Legislative Assembly is a woman

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Simone Veil, Former

President of the EuropeanParliament, France

Consciente davoir eubeacoup de chance en ayanteu la possibilit dexercer dehautes fonctions au sein delUnion Europenne, etconstatant que la place desfemmes reste trsminoritaire, cest avec plaisirque je soutiens votreinitiative.

Margot Wallstrm, Vice

President of the EuropeanCommission, SwedenChange the family photo ofthe EU: Women make uphalf the electorate - logically

we should also make up halfthe politicians and policy-makers. A representativedemocracy without genderequality is a contradiction in

terms.

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ConclusionConclusion

Politics is still considered as mens affairs Bi-communal Womens NGOs with

perseverance continue to struggle for

womens rights and elimination of all forms ofdiscrimination by raising public awarenessthrough seminars, lectures, film projections,

public discussions and publications

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AND LASTLY...

A Culture of Peace should be our goal To disseminate that culture we have to

have

Face to face contact Education

Sport & cultural events

Interactive media ....

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