Women from across the divide demand role in Cyprus talks (Updated)

Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot women have sent the two leaders, President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, a declaration expressing their full support for the peace process and the forthcoming phase of negotiations in Geneva and demanding that women be included in the negotiations post-solution.

According to an announcement, following the ‘Pathways towards Sustainable Peace: Building UNSCRes 1325 into the Cyprus Context’ conference in November 2016 that brought together women from civil society and academia to gain a better understanding of UNSCRes 1325, and to develop an integrated and inclusive dialogue on women in a post-solution Cyprus, a declaration was prepared, signed and forwarded to the two leaders this weekend.

The Declaration expresses full support for the peace process and the forthcoming phase of the negotiations in Geneva and stresses the need for the inclusion of women in the peace agreement and the new constitution to ensure a sustainable solution for Cyprus.

“The participation of women in the peace process and the Cyprus settlement agreement is not only a democratic right but also necessary as empirical studies have shown that women’s participation in peace processes increases the chances of the conclusion, acceptance and implementation of a viable and workable agreement,” it said.

The Declaration, which will continue to be available for signature, was the collective result of an initiative of Cypriot women’s organisations and individuals of civil society from all communities of the country and has been signed by a number of women’s organisations and members of civil society.

For more information about this initiative and/or if you wish to add your name or the name of your organisation, please contact Magda Zenon ([email protected]) 99495464, Maria Hadjipavlou ([email protected]) 99305283or Biran Mertan ([email protected]) ++90 392 630 1616

 

The Declaration in full:

To: Mr. N. Anastasiades and Mr. M. Akinci

Declaration to include women in the peace agreement and the new constitution to ensure a sustainable solution for Cyprus
January 2017

We, women’s organisations from across the island, endorse this declaration, and express our full support for the peace process and the negotiations to take place in Switzerland beginning January 9th 2017. Furthermore, we demand:

That women be included in the negotiations and the drafting of the federal and constituent states’ constitutions. Research has shown that if women are at the table, the chances of a settlement and its endorsement and sustainability are greatly increased.

Constitutional provisions to allow the inclusion of women in the decision making processes, e.g. quotas to ensure women’s equal access and full participation in the executive, legislative and judiciary levels, at federal, constituent state and local authority levels. There must also be mandatory regular systematic reviews regarding implementation of policies and legislation and the introduction of gender mainstreaming mechanisms.

That federal infrastructures such as a Gender Equality Federal Department be created where the focus will be the empowerment of women through leadership and training.

That more is done in terms of education in gender equality in the public school system with emphasis on deconstructing stereotypes and eliminating gender-based violence as well as promoting peace education including conflict resolution and reconciliation, elimination of violence and deconstruction of military images and mentality. Emphasis on human security requires that new images and symbols of peaceful coexistence are introduced in the curricula as well as accounts of women’s contributions to culture and society.

Allocation of existing resources for policies and actions promoting gender equality as well as for peace building and legislation that allows for the economic and professional empowerment of women, such as equal pay, an extended maternity leave, paternity leave etc.

That the two communities make public apologies to each other for past violence and that new historical and cultural narratives are encouraged that emphasize our common history, struggles and common future, fostering a culture of forgiveness and an inclusive civic identity.
That men be actively encouraged to be involved in the implementation of the above processes.
Signed by Women’s organizations and individuals

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.