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Cyprus to Introduce Gender-Responsive Budgeting

Published February 12, 2026, 12:16
Cyprus to Introduce Gender-Responsive Budgeting

Cyprus is promoting the introduction of gender-responsive budgeting across the public sector, with the support of new legislation, policy reforms, and specialized training for government officials, announced the Commissioner for Gender Equality, Jozi Christodoulou. The Council of Ministers has already approved and submitted to Parliament the “Gender Mainstreaming Act of 2025”, which will integrate gender equality into policymaking and the preparation of the state budget. The legislation will require the integration of the gender dimension into the preparation of policies, actions, legislative initiatives, and the state budget, as well as in public procurement. The integration of the gender dimension is already reflected in the government's proposals for tax reform, with relief measures for parents based on dependent children and equal tax relief for single-parent families. The upcoming pension reform will also aim to reduce the pension gap between genders. Cyprus has laid the foundations for gender-responsive budgeting through its participation in the European Commission's Gender Flagship Project. Training programs have already been carried out for officials from the Budget and Fiscal Control Directorate, the Statistical Service, and other Ministries, with an emphasis on gender impact assessments and the use of gender-disaggregated statistics in policymaking.