CYPRUS: “Woman, power, freedom” at UCy

 
In his welcome address, the Chair of the Department of Social and Political Sciences, Associate Professor Dr. Stavros Tombazos stressed that International Women’s Day does not only provide an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and contribution of women to society, but it also prompts us to recognise that the struggle is not over.
Inequalities and various injustices still exist, and the current global financial crisis poses a threat to women’s rights and wellbeing, he said.
Women academics of the Department of Social and Political Sciences contributed to the event with short speeches. The Assistant Professor and Management Board Member of the European Institute for Gender Equality, Dr. Kalliope Agapiou-Josephides, presented the results of a study of the European Institute for Gender Equality concerning women’s equality and the economic benefits to society. She pointed out that the Republic of Cyprus scores rather low in the EU Equality Index (44.9/100), while the best score is that of Sweden (74.2/100).
Dr. Lia-Paschalia Spyridou, Lecturer in Journalism and Media Studies, spoke about gender in the era of political correctness and focused on the constant challenges faced by women. Both social media and mass media reinforce the image of the “super woman,” creating thus considerable pressure on women to adjust to this constructed reality.
Dr. Stamatoula Panagakou introduced Sarah Gavron’s film ‘Brick Lane’, and emphasised the instructive paradigm of female empowerment and self-realisation against a background of family relations, multiculturalism, and racial tensions following the events of September 11 as portrayed in Monica Ali’s acclaimed début novel, ‘Brick Lane’.