POGO filed a complaint with the competent authorities for the sexist rhetoric of the veteran football player Kostas Malekkos in a television show.
In his interview, Kostas Malekkos said that "today women have taken the wrong path", adding that "the man has the right to do what he wants... You women must accept that a man is the leader. Period".
The letter is as follows:
Dear Ladies/ Gentlemen,
According to the 2020 Anti-Sexism and Online Sexism and Related Matters Law (L. 209(I)/2020), "sexism" means publicly or privately manifested sexist behavior directed at a specific person or of a particular group of persons, consisting of an action, gesture, visual presentation, practice, written or spoken word, which is based on the idea or perception that a person or a group of persons is inferior because of gender and which aims to (a) violate the rights of the victim or victims, offending, reducing and harming their dignity resulting in the denial of access to public services and unequal access to resources or (b) injure the victim or victims physically, psychologically or socio-economically or (c) create against the victim or victims a intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment. or (d) promote and reinforce gender stereotypes and gender discrimination.
Anyone who intentionally manifests or indulges in sexism, in the meaning attributed to this term, under the provisions of the above Law, is guilty of an offense and, in case of conviction, is subject to a prison sentence of up to one (1) year or a fine which does not exceed five thousand euros (€5.000) or both of these penalties.
Given the above, we await your actions regarding the content of the interview of Kostas Malekkos, on the show Sunday Night, which aired on Alpha Cyprus, on Sunday, December 8 at 21:00.
Please also note:
The Recommendation CM/REC (2019)1 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, dated 27 March 2019 regarding the prevention and combating of sexism, which states that discrimination based on gender constitutes a violation of human rights and an obstacle to the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, with sexism being a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between women and men, which ultimately leads to discrimination and hinders the full social advancement of women. The Recommendation highlights that sexism is linked to violence against women and girls, and "everyday" sexism constitutes a continuum of violence, inevitably creating a climate of intimidation, fear, discrimination, exclusion and insecurity, which limits opportunities for personal development and personal freedom.
The Beijing Declaration, from the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women (1995), which states that discriminatory stereotypes remain widespread and affect women's education and participation in the economy and public life.
The Council of Europe's Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, which requires member states to upgrade their legislative framework to address violence and eliminate gender discrimination so as to combat prejudice , customs, traditions and other practices based on ideas of the inferiority of the female sex, and to eradicate gender stereotypes, recommending on member states to take measures to prevent and combat sexism and its manifestations, both in the public and private spheres.
Watch the interview:
