women s — women s — The Paphos branch of POGO has demanded immediate expansion of Women’s House services across Cyprus, highlighting the government’s inaction regarding the pilot programme that began in Nicosia five years ago.
During a recent assembly marking its 15th Provincial Assembly, delegates engaged in a thorough discussion on the pressing issue of gender-based violence. They underscored the urgent need for enhanced support systems for women who have suffered abuse.
The Women’s House initiative was introduced to fulfil Cyprus’s obligations under the Istanbul Convention, ratified in 2017, aimed at providing comprehensive support for victims of domestic violence. The pilot programme commenced on December 1, 2020, with intentions to expand to other provinces after evaluating its impact.
However, POGO representatives expressed frustration that no evaluation has yet been conducted, nor has there been any movement towards expansion. “Neither evaluation has been conducted, nor expansion implemented,” POGO stated following the assembly.
Concerns were raised regarding the current government’s apparent lack of progress on pre-election promises to assess the Women’s House operations and establish similar facilities in all provinces, including Paphos. POGO Secretary Louis Louka highlighted the rising demand for services supporting abused women, noting that the need transcends geographical boundaries. “Unfortunately, the need for these services has an increasing trend, independent of geographical limits,” the organisation remarked.
The assembly also pointed out that under the Christodoulides administration, now in its third year, there have been no updates on the fulfilment of these pledges. POGO is calling for a thorough evaluation of the Women’s House initiative, the prompt establishment of a Women’s House in Paphos, and an expansion of services to encompass male victims, the elderly, child victims and witnesses, individuals with special needs, and other high-risk groups experiencing confirmed abuse.
