Under the framework of project INTEGRO (http://www.integro-project.org/) which is run by KISA and other international NGOs within the activities for the International Week against racism, the aforementioned seminar took place on the 22 March 2015 with a big participation of migrant women living in Cyprus and with keynote speakers such as a representative of the Ombudswoman office, the Commissioner of Gender and Equality, the Chairwoman of the Gender Equality Committee in Employment and Vocational Training and KISA’s legal expert and vice-president of ENAR.
The keynote speakers like Ms. Zelia Gregoriou, gave an interesting and informative speech about the “Waste management as the gender logic of colonial economy” describing the historical and political path of the policies of the colonial and transnational economy of abundance which continue to be implemented in nowadays societies like the one of Cyprus with the exploitation of domestic workers from which the vast majority are third world country migrants. Mr. Kakotas gave a speech on the “Institutional framework against discrimination, racism and the role of the ombudsman’s office as the anti-discrimination body and equality authority”. Other speakers addressed the domestic violence and the violence against women as well as a speech was given on the topic of Migrant women and gender equality in the labour market. The migrant women present at the seminar, were informed by lawyer Nicoletta Charlambidou on their labor and social rights from the EU perspective and the Cypriot reality.
The seminar concluded with the participants working in three different workshops (Racism and discrimination, working and social rights, violence) and following the discussions in the respective workshops the results, recommendations and conclusive remarks were reported/presented giving a new springboard for the creation of a Women’s forum by migrant women.
KISA Steering Committee
