Gender equality is a high, horizontal priority of our Government, President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, said addressing the world conference of the Women's International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) that takes place in Limassol. 

The President also underlined that the Government recognises the vital role of shipping and the need to strengthen the competitiveness of the Cypriot flag.

In his address, in the presence of the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, the President said that it is a great honour to host the annual general meeting and conference of WISTA International, noting that "gender equality is a high, horizontal priority of our Government". Within this framework, he said, "for the first time, we are making substantial efforts to mainstream gender across all policies, including, of course, the maritime sector and we are proud that the largest ever participation of women in the country's history has been achieved". 

Giving an example he said that  in the composition of the Council of Ministers, women make up 39%, while in the Boards of Directors of semi-government organisations we have reached 40%, especially in the positions of Presidents and Vice Presidents. "We have not yet reached 50/50, but we are working tirelessly to reach it and I am very confident that we will do it," he pointed out.

Referring to shipping, he said it represents one of the most important pillars of the Cyprus economy and holds a crucial role in fostering substantial economic growth over the years.

"We are blessed to live in an island with a very long maritime tradition. At the same time, the strategic location of Cyprus, and the expertise and know-how that it has accumulated over the years, have resulted at today’s prominent role of Cyprus within the global shipping industry."

We are proud, he added, that Cyprus constitutes a leading maritime hub, encompassing a diverse range of maritime and maritime-related activities.

Cyprus has established its position as the largest ship management centre in Europe, as well as ranking amongst the top leading ship registries worldwide, President Christodoulides stressed.

Noting that last year we celebrated 60 years since the establishment of the “Registry of Cyprus Ships”, he said that during this time, we have maintained a robust, high-quality ship registry.

"The straightforward taxation system, the high level of ship safety, the full protection for financiers and mortgage lenders, the specialised knowledge and experience of our people, constitute a competitive and attractive framework of services and advantages provided by the Cyprus Ship Registry," he said.

The government he noted, acknowledging the pivotal role of shipping in Cyprus, recognises the necessity for sustainable growth and endeavours to enhance the competitiveness of our flag and, of course, our maritime cluster.

"It is through proactive measures, ongoing consultations, addressing persistent challenges and the agility to seize opportunities that we lay the foundation for a sustainable future for the Cyprus registry and the broader shipping industry in our country. Ensuring both economic viability and ecological responsibility is not merely a choice, but a responsibility we bear for the future of our industry, one that necessitates forward-thinking, collaboration, and a commitment to navigating these seas of change," he went on to say.

Noting that an integral part of sustainable growth is gender equality, he said that Cyprus is committed towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Through our National Strategy on Gender Equality 2024-2026, he said, "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."

In this context, he added, "an action plan promoting gender equality and inclusion of women in maritime has been prepared by the Shipping Deputy Ministry, in cooperation with the Commissioner for Gender Equality."

Referring to numerous actions being initiated and implemented in this respect, he said they include the establishment of the Gender Equality Award in Cyprus Shipping, which will be bestowed annually to persons irrespective of their gender, who have made significant contributions in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment in the maritime sector.

The newly established International Maritime Organization’s Award on Gender Equality, President Christodoulides said, was bestowed for the first time this year, together with the Gender Equality Award in Cyprus Shipping, to Despina Theodosiou, a Cypriot candidate who has promoted diversity, inclusion and gender equality within the maritime industry and has achieved worldwide recognition in this regard, reaffirming Cyprus’ strong commitment towards gender equality.

At the same time, the President said that one of the very first actions as Government was to establish the granting, on an annual basis, of a scholarship scheme in memory of scholar Christiana Kouta, who dedicated her life to gender equality and to education. These 10 scholarships, he explained, 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, he said.

Furthermore, the President said that in order to enhance women’s participation and representation in blue professions, the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, in collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner for Gender Equality, have commissioned a study, with a view to recording the gender ratio, as well as the different needs of, and challenges faced by women and men in these professions.

Based on the findings, he added, targeted measures will be designed with the ultimate aim of creating a gendered working environment in this field.

"To this end, the Deputy Ministry of Shipping in cooperation with the Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus have identified all related maritime professions and have finalised disaggregated data of these sectors. Moreover, on September 23 Cyprus joined the Women in Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative, aiming to enabling women’s economic participation across green and blue sectors".

In addition, President Christodoulides said that 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.

Concluding, he pointed out that "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. 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".