The president of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, at the WISTA annual general meeting and conference reiterated the country’s commitment towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Speaking amongst WISTA members and friends from around the world, President Nikos Christodoulides told the meeting of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) that gender equality is an integral part of sustainable growth.
“As a father of four girls, I would like to assure you of my personal commitment, of my Government’s determination, towards the promotion and encouragement of the engagement of more women in the maritime sector,” he said.
“We will always steadfastly support this goal, working together with the private shipping sector, with the International Maritime Organization. WISTA is and will remain a key partner in this regard.”
Furthermore, the president referred to the government’s scholarships for women who want to study shipping.
“These 10 scholarships are granted to women aged 25 plus, who did not have the chance to study earlier. For this year, recipients of the scholarships will pursue undergraduate studies in fields related to shipping, innovation and technology,” Christodoulides said.
Additionally, the Shipping Deputy Ministry is in the process of finalising the procedures for granting, for the first time, two scholarships, one at the World Maritime University and one at the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) for Cypriot women.
Through the National Strategy on Gender Equality 2024-2026, which was the outcome of an open and extensive consultation with the private sector, to which WISTA Cyprus also contributed, all Ministries are currently implementing related policies and actions, with the Commissioner for Gender Equality monitoring the progress achieved, he explained.
In this context, an action plan promoting gender equality and inclusion of women in maritime has been formulated by the Shipping Deputy Ministry, in cooperation with the Commissioner for Gender Equality.
Numerous actions are being initiated and materialised in this respect, including the establishment of the Gender Equality Award in Cyprus Shipping, which Christodoulides said “will be bestowed annually to persons irrespective of their gender, who have made significant contributions in advancing gender equality and women empowerment in the maritime sector.”
