Speech by Dr. Erato Kozakou Marcoullis at the 5th Conference of Rotary Pafos, CYPRUS april 27 2018

1. Topic Subject: “The role of Women and the
value of Gender Equality in achieving
peace”
Speaker: Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis
Former Mınıster of Foreıgn Affaırs of
Cyprus
Date: 27th April 2018

2. WORLDWIDE, WOMEN REMAIN POORLY
REPRESENTED IN DECISION-MAKING
POSITIONS
ONLY 23% WOMEN IN PARLIAMENTS
ONLY 18% WOMEN IN MINISTERIAL
POSITIONS
“WOMEN SET THE TABLE AND
CLEAN THE TABLE, BUT HAVE
NEITHER A SEAT NOR A SAY AT
THE TABLE WHEN KEY
DECISIONS ARE REACHED”
OUR AIM: TO ACHIEVE GENDER EQUALITY IN DECISION-
MAKING AND TO RENDER OBSOLETE THE SAYING:

3. SOME BASIC TRUTHS
•Higher levels of gender equality are associated with a
lower propensity for conflict, both between and within
states.
•Women’s participation in conflict prevention and resolution
can improve outcomes before, during, and after conflict.
•Women’s participation in all tracks of diplomacy and
especially in peace negotiations remains of paramount
importance.
•First and foremost, there is a need to include all talents
and all perspectives, including gender perspectives, in the
efforts to resolve conflicts.
•Incorporating the perspectives and accommodating the
needs of the wider population, including women, increases
the prospects for the peace agreement to be adopted by large
majorities.

4. DESPITE WOMEN’S VITAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN
SOCIETY, THEIR PARTICIPATION IN PEACE
PROCESSES HAS DRAMATICALLY LAGGED
BEHIND

5. FACTS AND FIGURES
From 1990-2000, 11 % of peace agreements (17
out of 664) included at least one reference to
women.
Out of the 504 agreements signed since the
adoption of UN Security Council resolution
1325(2000), only 138 (27 per cent) included
references to women.
In 2015, 7 out of 10 peace agreements signed
included gender specific provisions.
The participation of civil society groups, including
women’s organizations, makes a peace
agreement 64% less likely to fail.
When women participate in peace processes, the
resulting agreement is 35% more likely to last at

6. WHERE ARE THE WOMEN?

7. WOMEN CHIEF NEGOTIATORS
Only two women in history—
Miriam Coronel Ferrer of the Philippines
(2010-2014)
and Tzipi Livni of Israel
(2013-2014)
have ever served as chief negotiators,
and only one woman— Coronel Ferrer—has ever signed a final
peace accord as Chief Negotiator.

8. WHERE ARE THE WOMEN?

9. AT THE PEACE TABLE, WHERE CRUCIAL DECISIONS
ABOUT PEACE AND SECURITY ARE MADE, WOMEN ARE
CONSPICUOUSLY TOTALLY ABSENT OR
UNDERREPRESENTED.
(PHOTO:NO WOMEN SEATED AROUND THE TABLE AT
SYRIA TALKS IN PARIS IN DECEMBER 2015)

10. LANDMARK UN SECURITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION 1325
ON WOMEN PEACE AND SECURITY
ADOPTED ON 31 OCTOBER 2000

11. UNSCR
1325
First time the UN Security
Council addressed the
disproportionate and unique
impact of armed conflict on
womenRecognized the under-valued
and under-utilized contributions
women make to conflict
prevention, peacekeeping,
conflict resolution, and peace-
building.
The UN Security Council
stressed the importance of
women’s equal and full
participation as active agents in

12. UNSCR 1325

13. ASPIRATIONS AND REALITY-
A TROUBLING GAP
18 years since the adoption of UNSCR 1325, which
highlighted the need for women’s participation in all
aspects of peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding:
Formidable political, socio-cultural, and economic obstacles
remain to the full participation of women in peace efforts,
whether as peacemakers or as citizens.
Only marginal progress has been made with regard to the
number of women in formal peace negotiations or in the
planning and conduct of peace talks in ways that would give
greater voice to women.
A limited number of provisions addressing women’s human
rights and concerns have been incorporated into peace
agreements.
Gender inequality remains a fundamental global governance
challenge, especially in conflict-affected environments,
where, compared to men, women suffer harm differently
and disproportionately.

14. ON 10 DECEMBER 2011, THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
WAS AWARDED TO LIBERIAN PRESIDENT ELLEN
JOHNSON SIRLEAF, LIBERIAN PEACE ACTIVIST
LEYMAH GBOWEE AND TAWAKKUL KARMAN OF
YEMEN

15. WHO ARE THESE
REMARKABLE WOMEN
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is Africa’s first democratically
elected female president. Throughout her Presidency
from 2006 to 2018, she contributed to securing peace
in Liberia, to promoting economic and social
development, and to strengthening the position of
women.
Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian peace activist who
mobilized and organized women across ethnic and
religious dividing lines to bring an end to the long war
in Liberia, and to ensure women’s participation in
elections. She has since worked to enhance the
influence of women in West Africa during and after war.
In the most trying circumstances, both before and
during the “Arab spring”, Yemeni journalist and human
rights activist, Tawakkul Karman, has played a leading
part in the struggle for women’s rights and for

16. EXTRACTS FROM THE NOBEL
COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENT:
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel
Peace Prize for 2011 is to be divided in three equal parts
between Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul
Karman for their non-violent struggle for the safety of
women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-
building work."
"We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the
world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men
to influence developments at all levels of society,".
“In October 2000, the UN Security Council adopted
Resolution 1325. The resolution for the first time made
violence against women in armed conflict an international
security issue. It underlined the need for women to become
participants on an equal footing with men in peace
processes and in peace work in general”.

17. WHAT ABOUT CYPRUS
AND WOMEN’S
PARTICIPATION
IN THE PEACE PROCESS?

18. PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THE NEGOTIATIONS
FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM-
WOMEN ARE EITHER TOTALLY ABSENT OR HIGHLY
UNDERREPRESENTED
•Since Independence in 1960, all Leaders of the Greek Cypriot
and the Turkish Cypriot Communities have been men.
•Since the first negotiations started in 1968, all Negotiators of
the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot Communities have
been men.
•Under the present phase of negotiations, from the 10 members
of the Negotiating Team, which has an advisory role, only 1 is a
woman.
•At the Negotiating Table the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and
the Turkish Cypriot Communities are accompanied mostly by
men, with the exception of occasional participation of women
who are part of the Negotiators’ support teams, as well as on
specific issues.
•A small number of women, not exceeding 10%, participate in
the Working Groups and Technical Committees.
•There are only 5 women serving as Heads: 2 women (Greek
Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot respectively) are Heading the
Technical Committee on Gender Equality, 1 (Greek Cypriot)
Heading the Technical Committee on Culture, 1 (Turkish
Cypriot) heading the Technical Committee on Education and 1
(Greek Cypriot) heading the Working Group on Property.

19. TECHNICA
L
COMMITTE
E ON
GENDER
EQUALITY
The leaders announced their decision to
establish a Technical Committee of
Gender Equality in May 2015 and the
first meeting of the Committee took
place in August of the same year.
The terms of reference of the
Committee make concrete reference to
UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on
“Women, Peace and Security”.
Despite the fact that its establishment was
considered a positive development, its
recommendations have remained largely unutilized
and the leaders have not demonstrated the
necessary political will that should have led to the
appointment of more women in their respective
negotiating teams, thus allowing a more effective
participation of women in the negotiating process,
as called for by UNSCR 1325.

20. TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON
GENDER EQUALITY

21. SINCE 1963 ALL UN SECRETARY-GENERALS
WHO HAVE DEALT WITH THE CYPRUS
PROBLEM
HAVE BEEN MEN
U Thant (Myanmar) 1961-1971
Kurt Waldheim (Austria) 1972-1981
Javier Perez de Cuellar (Peru) 1982-1991
Boutros-Boutros Ghali (Egypt) 1992-1996
Kofi Annan (Ghana) 1997-2006
Ban Ki-moon (Republic of Korea) 2007-2016
António Guterres (Portugal) 2017-today

22. SINCE 1963 THE UN SECRETARY GENERALS HAVE APPOINTED 25
MEDIATORS/SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVES/SPECIAL ADVISERS ON
CYPRUS:
22 MEN AND 3 WOMEN
23. Ann Hercus (1999)
24. Elizabeth Spehar
(2008), 6/2016-σήμερα)
25. Lisa Buttenheim (2010-
6/2016)

23. SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING
FORCE IN CYPRUS (MARCH 1964), ALL THE COMMANDERS OF THE FORCE
HAD BEEN MEN, WITH THE ONLY EXCEPTION THE APPOINTMENT OF
MAJOR GENERAL KRISTIN LUND FROM NORWAY ON 12 MAY 2014,
WHO SERVED UNTIL JULY 2016.

24. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS
•Peace, Justice and democracy are inextricably linked with gender equality and
especially women in decision making and leadership positions.
•Member states of the UN have an obligation to promote the participation of women
in all peacemaking efforts, reconciliation and peacebuilding.
•The underrepresentation of Cypriot women at the negotiating table has deprived
both sides and Cyprus itself, of the possibility of utilizing all talents and all
potentials that could be useful and conducive to the negotiations.
•The specific needs of women on significant issues involving peace, security,
governance, social justice, human rights, gender equality etc., should be fully
reflected in the agreement to be reached.
•Including the views of women, who represent more than 50% of the population, in
the agreement, increases the possibility of having it widely adopted in referenda.
•Without ıncorporatıng the perspectıves and the dımensıons of gender ın peace
negotıatıons, the entıre process could be jeopardızed and ıts successful outcome
could be doubtful.
•UNSCR 1325 should be seriously taken into consideration by the leaders, by
promoting a more active and fuller participation of women in the peace
negotiations and in the efforts to build and consolidate peace after a solution.
•Together, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, women and men, can join hands
and work towards realizing a common vision of building a safer, a more
prosperous and peaceful future for their children and the next generations of
Cypriots.

26. THANK
YOU