Cyprus’ Democratic Labour Federation (Deok) has called for legislation obliging employers to take action to deal with sexual harassment at work.
The demand follows public outcry over a series of sexual harassment and abuse reports in Greece and Cyprus. According to the union, thousands of employees experience sexual harassment and abuse daily, but only a few businesses have adopted procedures to handle such incidents.
The federation believes both employers and employees need education in order to be more aware of the problem of sexual harassment. The aim is “not only to encourage and empower women to speak out and make complaints when they are sexually harassed but also to break down the wall of patriarchy and social stereotypes which still view woman as inferior to the man,” Deok said, adding that Cyprus has a long way to go to achieve gender equality at all levels.