“Realizing Equality: Women's Rights” Conference continues at CIU

Realizing Equality: Women's Rights Conference organized by the Center for Women and Gender Studies (UKAMER) at Cyprus International University (CIU) continues with the second-day events.

On the 2nd day of the event held in the Conference Hall of CIU Çevik Uraz Center, President of UKAMER Asst. Prof. Dr. Mihrican Aylanç, Member of the Board of Women Studies Education Center, Prof. Dr. Fatma Güven Lisaniler, Bi-communal Gender Solidarity Team - GAT Member Prof. Dr. Biran Mertan, Lawyer Deniz Düzgün, and Lawyer Faika Deniz Pasha made presentations.

At the panel moderated by Prof. Dr. Rana Kıdak, Asst. Prof. Dr. Aylanç stated that it is important to increase the participation of women in all areas to ensure social and economic development, and to create a safe and fair society: “To strengthen the position of women in the family, work, and social life, it is inevitable to create awareness on this issue and to transform the understanding of gender equality into our cultural values starting with the basic and formal education”.

In her presentation, Prof. Dr. Lisaniler emphasized the importance of women in the economy. “The public and the private sphere has become more evident. While professionalism and business relations were discussed in the public sphere, individuality and family cases were included in the private sphere. The woman was included in the private area and the male was in the public area,” she said. In this structure, the labor of men is visible and the labor of women is invisible: “If we want equality, it is important to equalize conditions and opportunities,” said Lisaniler.

Prof. Dr. Mertan pointed out that women have a versatile working capacity, and political facts constitute an obstacle for women's development. The right to elect and be elected for women was given in 1960 for the first time in Cyprus. She continued by stating that it is envisaged that the equality of men and women will spread through centuries and the first step to move on this path is to change the social language.

Lawyer Düzgün explained that in countries where human rights are perceived as an indispensable right, women have equal rights with men; woman is evaluated concerning human rights, not with her gender position, but with her identity. She also added that some arrangements have been made in our country to enable women to participate in political, social, cultural and economic life.

Lastly, Lawyer Paşa talked about women's rights in the field of international protection and gave detailed information on this matter. She mentioned that women whose rights of life have been violated are subjected to pressure and violence starting in the family. Also, she recalled that many positive steps have been taken on women's equality with the efforts of women's organizations in the world.