Statement of the Religious Leaders of Cyprus Condemning all forms of Violence against Women and Girls to be released on The International Women’s Day
On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, the Office of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process under the Auspices of the Embassy of Sweden in Nicosia, (RTCYPP) will be hosting the official ceremony to release the joint statement of the religious leaders of Cyprus condemning all forms of violence against women and girls. The event will take place at The Ledra Palace Hotel in the UN Controlled Buffer Zone, on 8 March 2017 at 10.00hrs (Eastern European Time/EET).
H.E Ms. Margot Wallström, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden (via a video message) and H.E Ms. Elizabeth Spehar, UN Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) to Cyprus and Head of UNFICYP will address the event alongside the religious leaders of Cyprus.
The “invitation-only” gathering will bring together the religious leaders of Cyprus, leadership of the different faith communities and civil society, clerics, women’s organizations and political parties, municipal leaders of Nicosia, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the UN, the EU and the media.
“We are delighted that for the first time in the history of Cyprus the religious leaders of the Church of Cyprus, the Muftiate, the Armenian, Maronite and Latin Churches of Cyprus agreed to jointly address issues of violence against women,” said Salpy Eskidjian, the Executive Coordinator of the Office of RTCYPP and one of its co-founders. “This is the third significant joint statement we have facilitated for the religious leaders of Cyprus since we initiated the religious leaders’ dialogue in 2009, under the Auspices of the Embassy of Sweden in Nicosia, known as the RTCYPP. “We are deeply honored to work with them in this regard and encouraged with their commitment to continued dialogue and peacebuilding.”
The gathering will be under the High Auspices of H.B. Archbishop Chrysostomos II, H.E. Mufti Talip, H.E Archbishop Youssef representing also Rev. Father Jerzy Kraj and H.G Archbishop Khoren.
Guest speakers, Susana Elisa Pavlou, director of the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS) and Mine Atli, project coordinator at Association of Women to Support Living (KAYAD) will discuss the current situation of violence against women in Cyprus.
The religious leaders’ statement will be read out for the first time and presented in three languages. Members of the media have been invited to cover the event.
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Read the joint statement in three languages here>>
