NICOSIA --- Cyprus Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Markoullis has saidnoted that a lot needs to be achieved globally in order to ensure the protection of women’s rights.

Addressing a seminar titled “Strategizing for Women’s Rights, Freedoms and Participation in Political Transitions and Reforms” which took place in Nicosia, Markoullis said that Cyprus, implementing international treaties and EU directives, is proud of its long-standing record of active commitments to ensure the protection of women’s rights, their empowerment and their role in development.

She said that the government has put in place several related structures and national institutions, notably the National Machinery for Women’s Rights (NMWR), which has a very important role as it incorporates a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to gender equality.

FM also stressed that particular focus has been consistently laid on improving and strengthening women’s political participation, on equal terms with men, in the transitional and post-transitional process at all levels of decision-making.

“Nevertheless it should be admitted, that there is still a lot to be achieved globally, since implementation of most commitments remains unfulfilled”, she noted.

According to Markoullis, despite the advancements on women’s rights over the past few decades, especially as a result of UN efforts and systematic changes effected in many countries, “we have to admit that the process has been too long and too slow and we are still far from reaching our objective”.

In her address Markoullis underlined that millions of women and young girls continue to suffer worldwide from discrimination, sexual violence in time of peace and conflict, adding that they are targeted as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instill fear in, punish, forcibly displace members of a community or ethnic group in order to effect ethnic cleansing.

“Comprehensive road maps and national, regional and international action plans should be accelerated for institutionalizing efforts across the world to promote and protect women’s rights, as well as expand women’s empowered participation in politics, economic and social development and of course in making and keeping peace”, she said.

Cyprus FM said that in order for the effort to be successful, the participation of all members of society is essential and both governments worldwide and the civil society should work together towards this end.

Markoullis also noted that the strategy should include prevention, protection and participation and that the key to success is the mainstreaming of the principle of gender equality in education and all levels of society.

The seminar was co-organized by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) and The Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS).