The integration of gender mainstreaming in the foreign policy of Cyprus and especially in the Eastern Mediterranean region is a major priority for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, said the FMA, Nikos Christodoulides, at the beginning of the webinar "Building Healthy Relationships and Enhancing Gender Equality", organised by the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) and the heads of the ALF network of Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, with the financial support of the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The inaugural session was also greeted by the Executive Director of ALF, Dr. Nabil Al-Sharif, who stressed that the seminar is taking place during the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Process and strengthens relations between the countries through the empowerment of girls and women in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The seminar is addressed to women, 18-25 years old, who live in Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. The aim of the seminar is to use non-formal education to enable the participants to be informed about decisions about their reproductive rights, to break gender stereotypes and to build healthy relationships based on equality and respect.
The seminar is interactive and is implemented from 3 to 17 December online, through a series of 5 sessions. The selection of participants was done through an open call for applications, where the number of applications exceeded all expectations, with a final selection of 20 women, 5 from each country. The seminar is implemented with the contribution of the Cyprus Family Planning Association and the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies. The seminar is led by the Heads of the Cypriot Network of the Anna Lindh Foundation, which consists of the NGO Support Centre and the Rooftop Theatre Group. The seminar will be take place again in February 2021, through a new call for applications.
