Republic of Cyprus Second Voluntary National Report - Sustainable development goals

59 GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES Gender Equality in the Workplace • Equal Pay – The Gender Equality Certification Body awards certifications to enterprises that incorporate equal treatment and/or equal pay principles in their working environment (between 2014-2020, 54 companies have been certified). – Ex-officio inspections (approx. 200-300 per year) and examination of complaints under the Equal Pay Legislation to enhance compliance and, also, inform employers on the provisions of the legislation. – Marking of the Equal Pay Day by the Ministry of Labour, Welfare & Social Insurance to raise public awareness on the gender pay gap. • Maternity Protection – New amendments to the Maternity Law extended the prohibition of dismissal of the employee mother (including employee stepmother) to 5 months after the end of maternity leave (instead of 3 months) and provided for protection of breastfeeding within her workplace. Preventing & Combating Domestic Violence • The National Action Plan on the Prevention and Combating of Violence in the Family for the period 2017-2019 was pursued. The Advisory Committee for Preventing and Handling Violence in the Family in cooperation with all the relevant stakeholders, is in the process of developing the new National Action Plan. • The Social Welfare Services provide support services for the prevention and tackling of violence in the family and the protection of victims of trafficking for the purpose of exploitation. • Operation of The Women’s House, an interdisciplinary centre, where professionals from various disciplines and state officials including Clinical Psychologists, Social Workers, and specially trained Police Officers work together to provide appropriate support and treatment to women who are victims of violence. • Establishment of a Children’s House in every district of Cyprus, providing services to children victims of sexual abuse, and/or sexual exploitation, based on a multidisciplinary approach. • Cyprus Police Actions – Specialised training and education of Police Officers in matters pertaining to domestic violence and child abuse have been implemented as part of the Cyprus Police Academy. – In January 2018, a Protocol on Risk Assessment of Intimate Partners Violence has been adopted and a new series of training seminars aimed at training a larger number of first-line officers has been scheduled. – From September 2020, all Police Divisions have specialised operational units, dedicated to the investigation of violence in the family. – In the last three years, the Cyprus Police has participated in two EU Programmes with a focus on Violence against Women. Gender Equality in Education • National Strategy for the Prevention and Management of School Violence has been established (2018-2022) and the Law on the Prevention and Response to Domestic Violence of 2020 has been enacted. • Provision of a Holistic Sex Education programme (based on WHO guidelines) safeguarding women rights, and targeted at the primary and secondary levels of education. • Development of an Action Plan for primary education (2018-2020) aimed at revising the curriculum and teaching materials so as to ensure that gender issues are incorporated in all subjects. Preventive programmes are implemented against bullying and school violence in primary schools (20 schools involved). Trafficking • The “National Action Plan for the Prevention of Human Trafficking 2019 – 2021” which was prepared by the Multi-disciplinary Coordinating Group comprised of Ministries, local authorities, and NGOs, sets out a framework of actions and measures that aim to confront trafficking in human beings and prevent all its forms of exploitation. • All victims of trafficking, as specified in the relevant anti-trafficking law, receive immediate financial, psychological, social support and assistance, including housing. • The Social Welfare Services in coordination with relevant stakeholders developed a standard referral form (introduced in 2019) to improve the identification and referral of potential victims of trafficking and exploitation into the National Referral Mechanism, and to improve data collection. • A Protocol of Cooperation with relevant NGOs has been signed (April 2018), aiming at the enhancement of coordination and collaboration with the voluntary sector for the provision of services and support to victims of trafficking, including their access to information, housing, employment, and social integration.