Low fertility is not women’s ‘problem’ to solve, gender institute warns Cyprus politicians

Politics gendergender equalityTop News Low fertility is not women’s ‘problem’ to solve, gender institute warns Cyprus politicians Low Fertility Is Not Women's 'problem' To Solve, Gender Institute Warns Cyprus Politicians Relevant News Low fertility is not women’s ‘problem’ to solve, gender institute warns Cyprus politicians 12 June 2026 Overnight pharmacies on Friday, June 12 12 June 2026 Mobile signal hunt under way after 22-year-old vanishes on way to Kofinou factory 12 June 2026 Newsroom 12 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The Mediterranean Institute for Gender Studies has warned Cyprus and European politicians that low fertility is a structural problem, not a women’s issue to be solved through financial incentives, saying subsidy-based demographic policies risk undermining women’s rights. Responding to ongoing political discussions on demographics, the Institute said the “instrumentalisation” of female fertility amounts to regression rather than policy, and that attempting to incentivise births without addressing the conditions that prevent women and men from having children commodifies women’s existence, according to the press release. The Institute warned that blaming women for low birth rates is, in its view, a first step towards questioning achievements such as bodily self-determination and the right to abortion, and said it rejects any “authoritarian family policy” that uses demography as a pretext for restricting women’s freedoms, citing examples from other European countries. The Institute said the “maternity penalty” remains a core obstacle in Cyprus, pointing to research showing women face salary reductions, career stagnation and job insecurity after having children. It described the Cypriot labour market as rigid and often hostile to mothers, and said maternity, paternity and parental leave entitlements remain meagre. Demographic research shows low fertility results from structural factors including economic insecurity, inflation, high housing costs, social and value changes, and increased uncertainty, the Institute said. It added that benefit-led demographic recovery policies had been tried in other European countries without yielding the expected results. The Institute called for a series of measures: decoupling gender equality from demographic objectives, describing equality as a non-negotiable human right; universal and free pre-school care; a housing strategy for accessible housing; extended paid and non-transferable maternity, paternity and parental leave; and strengthened health, transport and care infrastructure for the elderly and people with disabilities. It cited data from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) showing that gaps in state care infrastructure are disproportionately filled by women. “Cypriot politicians must treat women as equal citizens who demand infrastructure, respect for their bodily autonomy and full gender equality,” the Institute said. “Populist approaches to demographics with announcements of individual subsidy incentives will not only not yield demographic results, but risk causing a setback in women’s rights.” Source:Photo credit: Alicia Framis Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Overnight pharmacies on Friday, June 12 Mobile signal hunt under way after 22-year-old vanishes on way to Kofinou factory Vietnam bear rescue centre in Tam Dao national park No resolution as Kato Polemidia residents and EAC clash over pylon removal On this day: U.S. band leader and saxophonist Jimmy Dorsey dies in 1957 Hamburg airport evacuated after man gains unauthorised access to security area Zygos turns the page and begins its next chapter Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.