WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY:
CYPRUS

UNIFEM WOMEN, WAR AND PEACE WEB PORTAL: CYPRUS

"We are always trying to organise seminars, workshops, and meetings to find more supporters among women and make them aware of their situation, women's human rights, and the importance of the contribution of women to all areas of public life. Because we believe that the amount of women must be more in decision making in order to make a voice and give positive effect to the peaceful solution to the conflict. We are also working together with our Greek Cypriot women friends. We are finding the ways to come together whenever it is possible and we are not afraid of doing this. Because as I said before, we women suffered a lot and don't want to be in the same hot-war position again. Now the cease-fire situation is going on but I believe we shall overcome one day if we do our duty for our coming generations . As mothers we have to prepare a world where we will live in with peace and without fear and feel secure. For this we need also help and solidarity from other women all over the world."

Oya Talat-Chemist, 18 November 1999

"We believe that basic human needs of both communities must be satisfied in the resolution of the Cyprus conflict. The two communities must be encouraged to respect each other's identities and our common traits, as well as our cultural differences must be seen as a richness of our island which has a history of 9,000 years. Instead of ethnic enmity, a poly-ethnic, multi-cultural, peaceful Cyprus must be created and only with the help of those Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot women who work for peace, violence and armed conflict can be prevented, if they come to the decision making bodies. We, as women and mothers who give life to the world, want to live in a demilitarised island where there will be no fear of war or uncertainty of the future. We want to raise our children on our island, not having to send them as emigrants to other countries. We want to live in a democratic island, with a strong civil society, without people being persecuted or punished due to what they believe in."

Women's Civic Initiative for Peace, 1999