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Legal Committee Discusses Gender Integration in Legislation

Published January 28, 2026, 13:18
Legal Committee Discusses Gender Integration in Legislation

The Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs discussed two bills regarding the integration of the gender dimension into legislation. The first, a bill proposed by the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Dimitriou, concerns the obligation to ensure the integration of the gender dimension into the actions of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The second bill provides for the integration of the gender dimension through the adoption of measures and actions in the public and broader public sector. The Commissioner for Gender Equality, Jozi Christodoulou, emphasized that the aim of the bills is to take into account the different needs of women and men when designing legislation, policies, and actions, in order to eliminate potential discrimination. She gave examples of good practices, such as yellow parking spaces for pregnant women and adequate lighting to increase women's employment. DISY MP Fotini Tsiridou argued that the gender dimension should be taken into account to achieve full gender equality. In contrast, ELAM MP Sotiris Ioannou expressed doubts about how the bills would practically help women and requested clarification regarding the reference to 'feminist legal thought' and the concept of gender as a 'social construct', emphasizing that for ELAM gender is biological. The discussion highlighted the different views on integrating the gender dimension into legislation, with an emphasis on the need for substantive equality and the protection of women's rights.