It is with great pleasure that I extend this greeting to today’s conference for the presentation of ASTRAPI Project not on my capacity as the Law Commissioner of the Republic, but as the Chair of the Gender Equality Committee in Employment and Vocational Training. I am looking forward for the presentation of the program's findings, which I am certain will inspire our Committee in its continuous efforts to prevent, combat and eliminate all gender discrimination in employment and vocational training. The recent restructuring and empowerment of our Committee, thanks to the late Minister of Labor and Social Insurance, Mrs Zeta Emilianidou, who sadly passed away, gives us the means, also in her memory, to continue our struggle to ensure equality between men and women in the workplace, to strengthen and cultivate the principle of gender equality, to eliminate stereotypes, to empower women in their multiple roles as well as to promote gender mainstreaming in all public policies.

The Gender Equality Committee in Employment and Vocational Training has a very important role in the gender equality field. We have an advisory role to the Minister of Labor and Social Insurance, we can recommend amendments of the law, we receive complaints from victims of acts of gender related infringement in the workplace and we approve free legal aid to victims to proceed to Court represented by a lawyer of their choice. We also had a vital participation with the Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights (Ombudsman Office) in the preparation of the Public Service Code of Conduct for Sexual Harassment. Now, with the last amendments of the relevant law, our Committee is responsible to assist employers in the process of drafting and adopting a code of conduct and investigate whether such a code has been adopted and implemented by employers and whether employees have been informed. Also, we provide training to employers and employees in matters of our responsibilities.

Sexual harassment is a serious violation of human rights, contrary to the principle of equal treatment between men and women and constitute discrimination on grounds of sex. It is a problem with a European and global dimension. Unfortunately, it cannot be solved only by passing laws with strict penalties, as it is a phenomenon intertwined with outdated stereotypes and perceptions and patriarchical attitudes. We have to go to the root of the problem and find tools to handle it and solutions to eliminate it.
Due to society's tendency to define gender roles by placing titles and labels on behaviors and activities, women's prejudices and stereotypes have existed for centuries. Medusa, the Greek mythological figure, presents a story filled with gender stereotypes which result in punishment for the victim and impunity for the perpetrator. When Poseidon raped Medusa inside Athena's temple, Athena punished her for failing to oppose the real perpetrator by turning her into a monster. Medusa's story illustrates the idea that in the collective consciousness, which is expressed in mythology, the victim is guilty as, she was punished instead of the rapist.

Gender stereotypes are still ingrained in modern society and have a severe impact on the lives of women and for respect and enjoyment of their human rights. Over the past several decades, International and European human rights bodies have been concentrated in forming legal instruments to combat inequality and gender violation issues.

As the Istanbul Convention, that was fully implemented in Cyprus legal system, provides about gender stereotypes.
“Parties shall take the necessary measures to promote changes in the social and cultural patterns of behaviour of women and men with a view to eradicating prejudices, customs, traditions and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority of women or on stereotyped roles for women and men.”

Furthermore, the Explanatory Report states that Parties to the Convention must take the necessary steps in order to change ‘the hearts and minds of individuals who, through their behavior, contribute to perpetuate the forms of violence covered by the scope of this Convention’.

The European Union appears to understand the connection between stereotypes and sexual harassment and emphasizes that in addition to passing laws, it must take practical steps in changing the perceptions within society about gender and women's inferior position to men. In order to transform social views, combat sexism, and create a safer environment for women, it is necessary for society to become aware of how sexual harassment affects women at every level.

We, all the stakeholders, associate partners in collaboration and collectively must find ways through practices and policies and especially through education, training and awareness raising, to eliminate such illegal behaviors and safeguard a safe environment for everybody.

Therefore, important projects such as ASTRAPI, which concentrate on education, training, finding intervention strategies and instruments for the effective implementation of intervention measures, developing risk assessment instruments, raising awareness, and informing the public about sexual harassment at work, are clearly extremely important tools to prevent and deal with sexual harassment in the workplace. I am positive that the project implementation which is a very important part of the project, will have a positive impact also on employers, equality officers and will have a role to play on national policy makers.
In our capacity as Gender Equality Committee in Employment and Vocational Training, we are committed to promoting and making use of the material produced by the program and we will actively contribute to the utilization and implementation of the project's deliverables.

I thank you all for the cooperation and partnership and especially the Cyprus Academy for Public Administration for the initiative to invite important organizations to work together to develop a proposal. I am emphasizing at this point that we are ready for action and to continue our efforts in this battle to eliminate sexual harassment.