Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides announced ten scholarships for studies in innovation and technology for women over 25 who did not have the opportunity to study after high school.

He was speaking at an event for International Women's Rights Day, held on Tuesday in the Presidential Palace.

In his address, the President emphasised that in order to achieve true gender equality, the necessary conditions must be met. "We have to focus on creating those conditions so that it is possible for women to express an interest in active citizenship," he noted.

According to the Indicators of the European Institute for Gender Equality, Cyprus ranks 22nd out of the 27 EU Member States in terms of gender equality.

President Christodoulides underlined that the state should only make decisions with a positive and equal impact on the entire population, regardless of gender. Additionally, he noted that before the adoption of bills, and in cooperation with the Office of the Commissioner for Gender Equality, a relevant check will be made that will specifically focus on the gender dimension and the need to ensure their equal impact throughout the population regardless of gender.

The Commissioner for Gender Equality will have a coordinating, executive role in the formulation and implementation of government policies and strategies, will implement actions aimed at promoting the equality of women and men horizontally in relation to all Government policies, in collaboration with all Ministries and Deputy Ministries as well as civil society, the President said.

Finally, he noted that his administration's short-term goal is for all women to make informed decisions about their own lives, whether it's about family planning, whether they want to study, what to study, working in so-called "non-traditional female" occupations, to participate equally, so that they can live independently and be paid equally.

On her part, Commissioner for Gender Equality, Josie Christodoulou, said that the promotion of equality between women and men and the full guarantee of women's human rights is an important issue and a condition for the social and economic development of all societies.

Christodoulou emphasized the implementation of a gendered state budget policy. "The goal of this policy is the fair distribution of the budget so that we have an equal distribution of resources to men and women", she noted.

The Commissioner also said that the government aims to eliminate the gender pay gap, to implement gender quotas, as per EU guidelines, to promote infrastructure that will reconcile professional and family life for women.

Also, she highlighted the government's intention to include a gender dimension in Cyprus' foreign policy and to adjust education programs to promote empathy, gender equality, prevent violence against women and girls and introduce the concept of consent.