The survey was conducted from October 2011 to February 2012 on a sample of 1.500 people - 860 women and 650 men - public and private sector employees in Cyprus. According to the results presented today by Mary Koutselini, director of the UNESCO headquarters, women do not have sufficient information, support and assistance and feel insecure in the workplace.
In addition, 12% of respondents said they reported sexual harassment in the workplace, which, according to the survey, is both male and female (1 man to 3 women). 25,3% of male owners, as well as managers of a business, reported that they have adopted a Code of Sexual Harassment in their business, while the corresponding percentage of women was 13,3%.
According to Ms. Koutselini, today there is no real basis for maintaining prejudices against women and more promotion of women role models is needed in all areas and in decision-making positions and responsibilities.
The Minister of Labor, Sotiroula Charalambous, stated that for the successful integration of women in the labor market, their equal treatment at work and the guarantee of their rights as women and workers must be ensured.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Security, said Ms. Charalambous, "has in its priorities the promotion of measures to consolidate equality between men and women."
The chairwoman of the Committee on Gender Equality in Employment and Vocational Education, Argentoula Ioannou, said that despite the legalization of gender equality in employment, women today in the EU face many problems that hinder the achievement of equality.
According to Ms. Ioannou, the wage gap between men and women in the EU is 17,5% and in Cyprus 21,3%, while the employment rate for mothers is only 62,4% compared to 91,4% for fathers.