BPW Cyprus
Our aim at this site is to help provide a framework from which Cyprus business women, can gain valuable support and contacts as well as learn more about the issues that many women still face in the working world. Hopefully by helping each other, Women in Cyprus will realize that they are not alone, they are supported. Business Professioinal Women in Cyprus can assis each other and gather useful information, business advise and resources. There are no boundries due to type of profession, age, or title,we aim to help women from all areas of business to include all professions. Women in the workforce are a vital part of Cyprus' economy, equality in the professional sector of society is essental to mantaining a healthy vibrant society. Sadly, it is still common that many women encounter all kinds of different barriers compared to men when starting an enterprise and growing their business. There are thousands of Business Professioinal Women who will benefit from networking with other women in various other industries or backgrounds. This is true not only here in Cyprus but also in other E.U. Member States as well as in other countries all over the world.
Research presented by European Union agency Eurofound, a Dublin-based EU agency responsible for providing European social policy-makers with findings, analysis and recommendations drawn from comparative research, has found evidence of a significant wage gap between men and women in Cyprus. Androulla Kaminara, Head of the European Commission Representation in Cyprus, said that Cyprus has an above-average number of women working, "but when it comes to the pay gap, it is one of the worst in Europe." In 2008, women were paid an average of 17.4 per cent less per hour than men across the EU, but Cyprus had the biggest gap of all, at 24 per cent, she said. This is unaceptable.
Our objectives are to promote social positions of women in Cyprus, to inform women in Cyprus about the issues faceing professional women here and abroad, as well as about groups and networks that are here to help, and also to promote the equality of the sexes the world over. We mention some of these fantastic organizations on our "Join" page, but two in particular diserve special mention here.
One is The Cyprus Women's Coop Bank, a non-profit organization, that began in January 2001 in Larnaca under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism. The board members represent all districts of Cyprus and are banking experts, business owners, and academics, all offering their services on a voluntary basis. The Cyprus Women's Coop Bank is particularly sensitive towards enhancing women's entrepreneurial activity. Therefore, it is in the process of designing programs tailored towards women entrepreneurs' needs in cooperation with the government and in the framework of European programs. By doing so they help women with entrepreneurul sprits to succeed in business.
The other is Business and Professional Women Europe which is part of Business and Professional Women International. BPW Europe aims to gain equality for female workers by spreading awareness of the discepencies in treatment between men and women in the work place, and to provied support and encouragement for European women who wish to better their career.