This Saturday, members of PES Women convened in Nicosia to discuss the empowerment of women in war zones spanning from Cyprus and the Middle East to across the globe.
With a packed agenda, PES Women received a warm welcome from its sister organization, the Socialist Women’s Movement of Cyprus, led by its President and PES Women executive member, Roulla Mavronikola, a dedicated advocate for women’s rights. The statutory meeting was also joined by PES member party EDEK, represented by deputy presidents Maria Vasiliadou and Elena Perikleous, alongside party’s general director Morfakis Solomonides. Marcia Alexaki, co-founder of the movement and long-time figure of the International Socialist Women’s Movement, was also present.
During the statutory meeting, the president of PES Women Zita Gurmai provided members with an update on PES Women’s work regarding its key priorities.
A notable moment of the meeting was the adoption of a resolution titled ‘Protecting and Empowering Women in War Zones: Ensuring Rights, Safety, and Dignity in Cyprus, the Middle East, and Beyond.’ The resolution, addressed to the representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cyprus, was handed over to her following the meeting.
Through this resolution, members reaffirm their unwavering support for all women affected by war—whether it be in conflict zones, or as refugees — including, but not limited to, Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sudan.
Members highlighted the urgent need for safe asylum procedures, legal status, and access to basic rights for female refugees, especially in Cyprus – a key host country – where many women find themselves trapped in legal limbo, economic exclusion, and limited protection.
The resolution also calls on Cyprus, the EU, and the international community to uphold the fundamental principle of non-refoulement, to ensure fair asylum processes, provide humanitarian aid and implement gender-sensitive integration policies, emphasising that protecting female refugees is not just a moral imperative, but a fundamental matter of justice, human rights, and gender equality.
The meeting also dedicated time for members to report on gender equality and political developments in their respective countries.
Following the meeting, there was a roundtable discussion on “Integrating the Gender Perspective in Peace and Security”. The discussion featured the Cypriot Commissioner for Gender Equality Josie Christodoulou and local feminist NGOs.
Participants:
PES Women President, MSZP – Zita Gurmai, Hungary
PES Women Vice–President, SD – Katrine Skov, Denmark
PES Women Executive Member PS – Cécilia Gondard, France
PES Women Executive Member, SDP Emmi Lintonen, Finland
PES Women Executive Member, EDEK – Roulla Mavronikola, Cyprus
PES Women Executive Member, DK – Agnes Vadai, Hungary
PES Women Executive Member, PvdA – Vera Tax, Netherlands
PES Women Executive Member, Vooruit – Inga Verhaert, Belgium
PES Women Executive Member, PL – Krista Caruana Falzo, Malta
PES Women Executive Member, PD – Roberta Mori, Italy
PES Women Executive Member, SPÖ – Michaela Kauer, Austria
PES Women Ex–Officio Executive Member, FEPS – Maria Maltschnig, Austria
Special Guests:
EDEK party representatives, Socialist Women’s Movement of Cyprus representatives.
