Women in employment: Highly educated, poorly represented in power

Economy economyeducationgender equalityLabour Women in employment: Highly educated, poorly represented in power Isotita Relevant News Women in employment: Highly educated, poorly represented in power 31 July 2026 Unions back mayors’ protest, demand sustainable funding 31 July 2026 Father seeks bail change to attend son’s funeral in England 31 July 2026 Evagoras Procopiou 31 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Significant inequalities continue to be recorded in Cyprus in matters of gender equality, particularly in positions of power and leadership and participation in decision-making bodies, despite the country’s positive performance in areas such as employment, education and the narrowing of the gender pay gap. The data, which formed a central part of the event relating to Labour matters, were presented by Niki Christofi, a member of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) and an entrepreneurship mentor. Her presentation examined gender equality in Cyprus compared with the European Union. The event was organised for the third consecutive year by ICPAC, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance and the Human Resource Development Authority. According to the presentation, Cyprus’s low gender equality score is mainly linked to the limited presence of women in positions of leadership and power, as well as the greater amount of time they devote to household tasks and caring for children. Niki Christofi, member of ICPAC’s Corporate Social Responsibility Committee Lower participation in employment Based on data from the Cyprus Statistical Service for 2025, women continue to have lower employment rates than men, both among employees and the self-employed. Of the 49,493 self-employed people, 19,399 are women, representing 39.2%. Among employees, women account for 217,688 of a total of 455,151, or 47.83%. Wide disparity in managerial positions Inequality is particularly pronounced in managerial and administrative positions. Among self-employed managers and administrative officers, women account for just 2.65%, with 22 women out of a total of 829 people. Among employees in the same category, women number 5,776 out of a total of 21,586, representing 26.76%. By contrast, women’s participation is higher in the categories of professionals and other specialists, reaching 55.59% among the self-employed and 51.59% among employees. Strong presence in education, health and care Women are particularly well represented in certain sectors of economic activity. Education employs 27,888 women compared with 9,014 men, while human health and social work activities employ 20,118 women compared with 8,917 men. The figures show that women outnumber men in sectors associated with education, health and social care. ICT sector dominated by men The information and communications technology sector remains dominated by men, although Cyprus performs marginally better than the EU average. According to Eurostat data for 2025, men account for 79.9% of employed ICT specialists in Cyprus and women for 20.1%. In the European Union, the corresponding figures are 80.5% for men and 19.5% for women. Low representation in positions of power An even wider disparity is recorded in positions of power. According to the 2025 Gender Equality Index, women account for 16.7% of ministers and deputy ministers in Cyprus, compared with 35.1% in the EU. Women make up 14.3% of members of parliament in Cyprus, compared with 33.4% across the EU. On the boards of the largest listed companies, women account for 10.5% of members in Cyprus, compared with 34.5% in the European Union. Positive picture in employment and unemployment At the same time, Cyprus records high employment rates compared with the EU. According to Eurostat data, the employment rate stands at 85% for men and 75% for women, exceeding the European averages of 80.8% for men and 70.8% for women. The picture is also positive regarding unemployment, with Cyprus’s overall rate falling to 4.9%, compared with 5.9% in the EU. Unemployment among people under the age of 25 stands at 13%, also below the EU rate of 14.9%. Higher educational attainment than the EU Cyprus performs above the EU average in education. Among people aged 30 to 34, 64.4% have completed tertiary education, compared with 44.7% in the European Union. The proportion of women who have completed tertiary education stands at 72.9% in Cyprus, compared with 50.2% in the EU. For men, the corresponding figures are 55.6% in Cyprus and 39.4% in the EU. Unequal distribution of unpaid work However, inequality remains pronounced in the distribution of unpaid work. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality, 62.5% of women in Cyprus perform household chores every day, compared with 23.8% of men. Across the EU, the corresponding figures are 58.6% for women and 33.3% for men. Among those providing childcare for more than 35 hours per week, the proportion of women in Cyprus stands at 42.8%, compared with 14.8% of men. Pay gap has narrowed but remains Cyprus has made progress in narrowing the gender pay gap compared with previous years, although it remains slightly above the EU average. According to Eurostat data, the gender pay gap in Cyprus stood at 11.8% in 2024, compared with 11.1% in the European Union. In 2002, the corresponding figure in Cyprus was 22.5%, falling to 16.8% by 2010. The figures for 2023 and 2024 are preliminary and may be subject to revision. Pay differences by occupational category Data from the Statistical Service’s 2022 Earnings Survey show pay differences in favour of men across a range of occupational categories. Among senior managers and administrative executives, average total annual earnings amount to €71,404 for men and €64,812 for women. Among chief executives, senior administrative officials and members of legislative bodies, men have average earnings of €137,883, compared with €104,887 for women. Among human resources managers, the pay difference stands at €3,530 in favour of men. Differences in favour of men are also recorded in other occupational groups. Among accountants, auditors and tax advisers with professional qualifications, men have average annual earnings of €38,067, compared with €34,251 for women. Among assistant accountants without professional qualifications, the pay difference between men and women stands at €1,325, with men earning an average of €29,217 and women €27,892. Among mathematicians, actuaries and statisticians, the pay difference stands at €6,383 in favour of men, whose average annual earnings amount to €42,059, compared with €35,676 for women. Among information and communications technology specialists, average earnings amount to €50,193 for men and €36,331 for women. Among lawyers and legal professionals, men record average annual earnings of €35,902, compared with €28,473 for women, representing a pay difference of €7,429 in favour of men. According to the presentation, paralegal professionals are an exception, with women earning more than men. Women have average annual earnings of €23,253, compared with €21,377 for men, a difference of €1,876 in favour of women. The invisible value of care The presentation points out that the statistics do not include the market value of unpaid work involving household and childcare responsibilities, which in practice may be equivalent to part-time or even full-time employment. This highlights a less visible aspect of inequality that is not fully reflected in economic indicators. Pay equality not until 2086 at current rate At the international level, according to the International Labour Organization, it will take until at least 2086 to achieve pay equality worldwide at the current rate of progress. The role of education and stereotypes The presentation concludes that gender equality also depends on education from an early age. It notes that children should be taught that men and women can perform the same roles in the workplace, as stereotypes influence their choice of studies and, ultimately, their choice of profession. Parents, teachers and career guidance professionals are considered to have an important role in this effort. According to Gender Equality Index data included in the presentation, 34% of Europeans believe that gender stereotypes are spread through advertising, while 33% say they appear in the media. Niki Christofi expressed her gratitude to the Cyprus Statistical Service for its valuable cooperation and support, as well as for the explanations it provided regarding European statistics through Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Unions back mayors’ protest, demand sustainable funding Father seeks bail change to attend son’s funeral in England From obstacles to bridges Gaza’s road to peace? Inside the proposed deal Some work for the country. One wants the throne Five Cypriot cyclists finish top 15 at Balkan Downhill Championships Cyprus’s diaspora: the force that never stops fighting Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.