COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN BEGINS EXAMINATION OF CYPRUS REPORT
Press Release
WOM/877
COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN BEGINS EXAMINATION OF CYPRUS REPORT
19960116 Special measures were required to reduce the concentration of women workers in low-paying jobs and to increase the number of women in decision- making positions, experts stressed this morning as the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women examined the initial and second reports of Cyprus.Welcoming recent legislative changes in Cypriot law to promote the equality of women, the 23-member expert Committee, which monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, stressed the importance of gender sensitive training for judges and law enforcement officials. Experts also asked for more information on such issues as health care, grounds for divorce, inheritance rights, abortion, the legal age for marriage, violence against women and trafficking in women.
Introducing his country's report, the representative of Cyprus said social attitudes and stereotypical roles of men and women were the main obstacles to the implementation of the Convention. Such attitudes had affected women's participation in education and vocational training and had limited their participation in the political sphere.
He said his country had taken steps to change attitudes by sensitizing its teachers to discrimination and by enacting laws to improve the situation of working and pregnant women. It had also established two committees in 1983 to look into discrimination against women in family law and their rights in the work force. In addition, in 1994, a new national machinery for women's rights was established to promote equality between the sexes.
The Committee is scheduled to hear the response of Cyprus on Tuesday morning, 23 January. It will meet next at a time to be announced.
Committee Work Programme
This morning the Committee is scheduled to begin consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Article 18 provides that States parties shall undertake to submit to the Secretary-General, for consideration by the Committee, a report on the legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures which they have adopted to give effect to the provisions of the Convention. The reports of Cyprus will be taken up.
The Committee also has before it the report of the Secretary-General on the status of submission of reports by States parties (CEDAW/C/1996/2). The report contains a list of States parties that have reports which are due and have not yet been submitted to the Committee, and a list of States parties that have submitted reports which have not yet been considered by the Committee.
The Committee is scheduled to review today the combined initial and second periodic report of Cyprus (CEDAW/C/CYP/1-2), which covers the situation of women in government-controlled areas of the island from 1985 to 1993.
The report states that since the Convention was ratified in 1985, "considerable progress had been achieved in relation to the status of women in Cypriot society, despite the serious political problems we are still facing".
Legal measures outlined in the report include ratification in 1987 of Convention No. 100 of the International Labour Organisation concerning equal remuneration for male and female workers, and the enactment of a law on equal pay (1989), and the protection of maternity (1987/88). The law on maternity provides for 12 weeks maternity leave for all employed women with full pay and nursing breaks, and the protection of pregnant women from dismissal and from work which may be harmful to their health or the health of their child. Other laws mentioned include the amendment of social security legislation in 1987, which introduced compulsory insurance for unmarried rural women above the age of 35; and a 1988 law amending the income tax legislation granting women the same rights as men regarding tax allowances and deductions.
The report states that the most serious measure ever taken towards the abolishment of discrimination against women was the amendment of article 111 of the country's Constitution, which was made in 1989 and took effect in 1990, by which family law was modernized to allow civil marriage in cases where both parties belong to the Greek-Cypriot community. The amendment also established special family courts. However, the report states that discrimination still exists and more remains to be done to conclude the reformation and modernization of family law.
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Other legislation includes a 1990 law granting both men and women equal rights and responsibilities regarding the exercise of parental care; a 1990 law on the legal status of children born out of wedlock; and a 1991 law on property rights for spouses which aims at granting equal rights and responsibilities to women and men with regard to the acquisition, administration and sharing of family property and the payment of maintenance in the case of separation or divorce.
Bills in the process of becoming legislation include one on the adoption of children which would bring Cypriot legislation in line with the provisions of the European Convention on the Adoption of Children; a bill on the establishment of special family courts for religious groups; and a bill on the prevention of violence within the family and the protection of victims of violence.
Among other measures taken, a Permanent Central Agency for Women's Rights was established in 1988. The report states that the Agency, which is composed of representatives of the Government and women's organizations, "is playing a very significant role in the formulation, coordination and monitoring of the implementation of the Convention". It has competence in receiving and channelling complaints and in carrying out inquiries on its own initiative or on application. The Agency has no decision-making powers and cannot supervise or apply anti-discriminatory legislation.
Regarding employment, the report states that programmes and measures have been put forward to remove obstacles and to assist women to combine work and family responsibilities. Government subsidies for child care have increased, and vocational training programmes for women have been introduced. However, the report states that child-care facilities remain inadequate, women continue to be concentrated in low-paying occupations and, despite some progress, women still earn less than men.
On education, the report says girls enjoy "more or less equal opportunities", adding that programmes are under way to promote gender equality in the schools.
The report states that health is a field "where substantial progress has been achieved", with all women having access to public or private health care. Infant mortality has been reduced to very low levels, and policies include the expansion and improvement of maternity and child health centres, especially in rural areas, and the expansion of prenatal tests and of information programmes on special diseases and health risks facing women, such as breast and uterine cancer, smoking and AIDS. Abortion is a criminal offense punishable with exceptional severity and is only permitted when the pregnancy is certified to have been induced by rape, or to involve risk to the life of the mother or substantial abnormality of the child.
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The most serious obstacles encountered in the implementation of the Convention, according to the report, are "the social attitudes and practices based on traditional and stereotyped ideas regarding the roles of men and women". To change the mentality, the Permanent Central Agency for Women's Rights has mounted a campaign involving the mass media, schools and non- governmental organizations.
The report states that although considerable progress has been made in relation to the status of women in Cypriot society, "the traditional perceptions of the role of the woman as wife and mother, the inadequacy of child-care facilities and discrimination against her obstruct her substantive and equal participation in all fields". According to the report, the participation of women in political life is very limited, discrimination continues in employment and family law, and rural women face particularly serious problems. The report lists plans for the future to remedy existing disparities.
Introduction of Cyprus Report
GEORGE ANASTASIADES (Cyprus) said his country had been underdeveloped when it had achieved independence in 1960. The process of development in the country had been further interrupted in 1974 by the invasion of Turkey which had uprooted one third of the population. The invasion had led to massive unemployment, including among women. From 1975 to 1985 Cyprus had been confronted by enormous social and economic problems. However, gradually housing and employment for refugees had been found. Also, care of children of working parents as well as of the elderly were issues of concern to the Government. After the invasion, rural and urban refugee women had had to find and adjust to new areas of work.
The re-activation of economic activity in the clothing and footwear industries in Cyprus had been enormous in the years following the invasion, he said. The surge of growth in those industries had been so great that it led to a shortage of labour. Many women had moved from working in the agricultural sector to working in other occupations. In 1979, an inter- ministerial committee had been appointed to look into the position of women. The Government, with the help of foreign technical assistance, had looked into such areas as the wage gap between men and women as well as the problems of working women. During the period, public awareness about the position of women had increased. In 1983, two committees had been established to look into discrimination against women in family law and their rights in the workforce. The Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women had been signed by Cyprus in 1985.
The development plan of Cyprus acknowledged that in order to eliminate discrimination against women, a change in the social attitude towards them was
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of paramount importance, he continued. Due to the signing of the Convention, individual ministries had taken a special interest in legal, administrative and other measures to improve the situation of women. In the legal sphere, the Government had ratified the ILO convention on equal remuneration. Steps had been taken to improve conditions for working and pregnant women. Increasingly, the legal regime in Cyprus was being harmonized with European laws, especially in the case of property and labour laws.
In February 1994, a new, more effective machinery for women's rights had been set up, he went on. Serious efforts had been made by the Government to prevent violence against women. New laws had provided for increased penalties for violence in the home, and it had been specified that rape was a crime even when committed within marriage.
In order to improve the situation for working women, the Government subsidized community and private child-care centres, he stated. In the area of education, girls enjoyed equal rights. Steps to were being taken sensitize teachers to the equality of the sexes and to provide all women with access to public and private health care. Expansion and improvement of heath care centres in rural areas was a special priority.
He went on to say that the main obstacles faced in the implementation of the Convention were the social attitudes and practices and stereotypical roles of men and women. Those attitudes had affected women's participation in education and vocational training and had limited their participation in the political sphere.
He said the goals of the Government of Cyprus included strengthening machinery for women rights, improving the vocational programmes, expanding further the child-care facilities, sensitizing teachers to discrimination and working to change attitudes in rural areas.
He added that since almost 40 per cent of the territory was under Turkish occupation, the data presented referred only to the government- controlled areas.
Discussion of Report
GUL AYKOR, expert from Turkey, called attention to contradictions in the Cyprus report regarding the amount of territory that was occupied by Turkish forces and asked how much territory was actually occupied. Although the report only covered the government-controlled areas, the Committee was concerned about the rights of all women on the island.
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An expert then asked for clarification on whether women in Cyprus could go to court and invoke the articles of the Convention despite national legislation which did not comply with its provisions.
On article 2, by which States parties agree to combat discrimination against women in various ways, an expert sought more information on the national machinery for women, such as the number of personnel, the budget and the reasons for removing the equality offices from the ministries. Another expert asked about the legal power of the national machinery.
Regarding article 4, which states that temporary measures taken to accelerate women's equality, as well as maternity protection measures, shall not be considered discriminatory, one expert called attention to the pay differences between men and women in the labour market. Were there plans to strengthen equality and to adopt special temporary measures to increase women's participation in politics and to combat segregation in the labour market? Another expert said that the time had come for the Government to introduce temporary measures in the civil service, such as affirmative action plans with goals and timetables, to increase the number of women in government posts.
Under article 5, States parties are required to eliminate practices based on the idea of the inferiority or the superiority of either sex, and to ensure that family education teaches that men and women share a common role in bringing up children. One expert asked if measures taken to remove attitudes and stereotypes which threatened women's equality had been supported by the Government. Another expert asked how the women's movement had influenced the pressure to change attitudes and how the national machinery was working in that regard.
On violence against women, an expert asked if there was a law already adopted. If so, how many cases had come to trial and what sentences had been handed down? Were there centres to take care of victims of violence and if so how many?
Referring to article 6, which requires States parties to suppress all forms of traffic in women and exploitation or prostitution of women, an expert said that it appeared from the report that the law viewed the abduction of an unmarried woman as less serious than that of a married woman. Was that the case? She asked for more information on whether the legislation to prevent trafficking was effective.
On article 8, which states that women shall be given the opportunity to represent their government at all international levels, an expert noted that the number of women in the diplomatic service of Cyprus had increased in the past few years. She asked if there were any measures which allowed female
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diplomats to combine marriage and their work in the service. Another expert asked for more information on temporary measures to reduce obstacles for women at the international level. How many years did it take for an officer of the foreign service to be appointed Ambassador?
Regarding article 11, by which States parties are obliged to eliminate discrimination against women on the grounds of marriage and maternity, one expert asked how the Government had achieved equal pay between the sexes in the public sector. Were there any measures to promote the employment of disabled women? Who was obligated to provide child-care facilities? She asked for more information on the number of part-time women workers. Another expert asked for clarification as to whether women had a right to work.
Another expert said it appeared that a large number of employed women in Cyprus worked in the textile and shoe industries. She asked if the textile industry was globally competitive regarding pay scales. If it was not competitive and could move to another part of the globe, was there a plan for re-training? She also asked for more information on sexual harassment in the workplace, and whether the Government planned to give incentives to industry to support the provision of child care. What was the retirement age for men and women? Also, what did the Government mean by 'work for equal value' in its legislation? It was a concept that concerned work that had an equal value to society, not work that was similar in nature. What was the role of women in labour unions, she asked.
Regarding article 12, which provides for measures to be taken to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care, one expert asked for clarification of the provision of public health services to women, and whether there was a national family planning policy. She also asked if there were programmes for the early detection of cancer in women and the common causes of maternal death.
Another expert asked what services for women were included in public health care. Did the statistics for expenditure on health care include public and private expenditure? She also asked for a gender breakdown on the different health professions. In relation to violence against women, what were the reporting obligations of health care professionals and what kind of treatment was provided? Were the needs of older women regarding menopause and osteoporosis accounted for by the public health care system? On abortion, she asked about individual rights to choose methods of fertility regulation. What was the procedure for getting an abortion on medical grounds and who would cover the costs? Did a teenage pregnancy count as a medical ground for abortion? If not, what were the rates of teenage pregnancy and did they result in early marriage? She asked for more information on the incidence of abortion.
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With regard to contraception, what was the proportion of the cost to the average income of a woman, the expert asked, also questioning whether contraception was affordable. On the sexual health needs of women, she asked what kind of sex education was available to teenagers, and whether female adolescents were able to obtain proper counselling on sexual health and contraception. She asked for more information on AIDS, whether condoms were freely available and how many women were members of the national committee on AIDS. She also asked for more information on the causes of death in women and men, and the major causes of disease.
On article 14, on the particular problems of rural women and their rights in the economic and social areas, another expert asked who the women were who had benefitted from bank loans. How many requests for loans were made and what percentage had been given to women? She asked if Cyprus was considering opening a special bank for women. Another expert requested more information on the daily living conditions of women in rural areas and the characteristics of their agricultural work. What was the future of agriculture in Cyprus; was agribusiness taking over? With regard to social security and pension, she asked for the position of the Government on payments to rural women.
Regarding article 16, which spells out the equality of women's rights in matters relating to marriage and family relations, an expert noted the new family code of Cyprus. However, she said the law itself did not guarantee equality. She asked whether the Government had begun a broad campaign to popularize the law, and whether new funds had been allocated for families that came before the court. Had judges and officials of the Family Court been trained in line with the new legislation? Since the report appeared to state that alimony was paid as an act of mercy, she asked if alimony could only be granted under such subjective circumstances. For those who lived under common law marriage, she asked what happened to women under this arrangement when it came to an end, and whether the children received child support.
Another expert asked why Cyprus felt the need to establish special family courts for religious groups. She also asked for more information about the training of judges, the number of women judges in the family courts, the grounds for divorce, inheritance rights for women and the law regarding matrimonial property. Had Cyprus introduced a principle whereby women were entitled to half of the matrimonial property? Regarding the age of marriage, an expert asked for clarification of the term 'nubile maturity'. Another expert asked whether citizens could choose between civil and religious family courts. Had the recent higher divorce rate been the consequence of the new family code? Another expert stressed that all law enforcement officials should undergo gender sensitivity training.
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An expert said there was quite a lot of work to be done to improve the status of women in Cyprus. She asked if the number of women holding posts in the public service increased since 1991. There were no women in the Supreme Court and very few females in the public sector. Was there an intention to mount programmes to encourage women to take up decision-making positions, she asked.
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