In the last five years, 22 femicides and more than 12.000 incidents of domestic violence have been recorded in Cyprus.
As stated in a related announcement, with the central message "Gender Violence Hiding in Front of Us", a campaign is being carried out to prevent and combat gender violence that is part of the global 16-day actions against gender violence and is implemented by the National Coordinating Agency for Prevention and Combat of Violence against Women of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, in collaboration with the Office of the Equality Commissioner of the Sexes.
The main goal of the campaign, according to the announcement, is to inform the public about the forms of gender-based violence, the current legislation, and the available support structures.
In a press conference held for the presentation of the campaign, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis, emphasized that "through the campaign we aim to combat gender-based violence and all social stereotypes and prejudices, which are inextricably intertwined with it. We strengthen access to information and clearly place the rights and protection of victims of gender-based violence at the center of our actions and policies to effectively address the phenomenon of violence."
The Commissioner for Gender Equality, Jozi Christodoulou, stated that violence against women concerns each and every one of us, as individuals and as a society.
"Each incident of violence not only injures the victim and her family, but pushes society one step away from progress and prosperity. The main slogan of the campaign, "Gender-based violence is hiding in front of us", is a call to everyone to recognize and denounce it," he said.
It is noted that gender-based violence takes various forms, such as physical, sexual, psychological, financial violence, harassment, stalking, and online sexism.
In Cyprus, the legislative framework, harmonized with the Istanbul Convention, criminalizes all these forms of violence, provides for severe penalties for perpetrators and enhanced protection for victims of violence.
“Although the statistics reveal shocking facts – with 22 femicides and more than 12.000 incidents of domestic violence recorded in Cyprus in the last five years alone – the true extent of the problem is much greater. For many women, fear, insecurity and social pressure act as barriers to seeking help," it is emphasized.
The campaign includes informative actions aimed at the whole society. Through audio-visual material, such as videos and static graphics that use real data, the difficulty of identifying victims and the need for action are highlighted.
At the same time, public interventions by officials strengthen the dissemination of the message, cultivating the dialogue to combat gender-based violence.
With the colors purple and orange - the official color of the international awareness campaign of the United Nations Organization (#OrangeTheWorld) - the campaign conveys a strong message about the need for culture change, the announcement concludes.
Source: KYPE
