A UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Empowerment was established in 2008 at the University of Cyprus. Through a diverse network of partners including institutions, academics and non-governmental organisations, the UNESCO Chair at the University of Cyprus aims to provide a new paradigm on how common problems faced by the populations of the region can be addressed through the gender perspective. The empowerment of women and gender constitutes simultaneously the empowerment of their voices, so that the concept and perspective of gender are included in all policies.
Within this framework, the University of Cyprus aims at functioning not only as a centre of excellence for local development on gender empowerment and collaboration, but also as a dynamic pole of synergy among chairs, networks, and working groups that combine their efforts for the achievement of the two mutually reinforcing objectives of UNESCO regarding its overarching global priority of gender equality as described in its Approved Programme and Budget 2008 - 2009 and the Medium-Term Strategy 2008-2013: a) to fully implement the gender mainstreaming strategy into all programme components - education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture and communication and information and b) to ensure that the specific needs of women and girls are considered a priority in its programmes, especially on a country level.
Institutions, academicians, governmental and non-governmental organisations in Europe, the Balkans and Middle East work together to diagnose the real needs of each region and to act as a creative think tank that supports the development of local poles for the elimination of the theory - praxis divide in gender equality and empowerment. The UNESCO Chair of the University of Cyprus functions within this framework, undertaking an integrated system of research, training, information and documentation activities in the field of women and gender studies.
Co-Directors of the Chair are Associate Professors Alexia Panayiotou (panayiotou.alexia@ucy.ac.cy) and Miranda Christou (miranda.christou@ucy.ac.cy).
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