The decision of the Council of Ministers to proceed with the construction of a monument dedicated to women who have suffered violence, was announced by the Commissioner for Gender Equality, Josie Christodoulou, during an event on Friday organised by the ‘Life Against War Violence’ Foundation entitled ‘Rape as a Weapon of War: Memory, Recognition and Action’, held at the Presidential Palace, in Nicosia.
According to Christodoulou, ‘the monument will be erected at a central location in Nicosia, with the support of the Mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Prountzos, and the Nicosia Municipality, who made a substantial contribution to identifying a site where the monument will be prominent and visible.’
She added that ‘the monument is a small tribute to the women who faced the darkest face of violence and war, yet demonstrated remarkable strength and continued, with dignity, to support their families and contribute to the progress of our society.’
Frederickou: The monument was a priority from the very beginning
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The President of the ‘Life Against War Violence’ Foundation, Natassa Frederickou, said that ‘from the very first day of its establishment, the Foundation made the creation of a monument dedicated to women and girls who suffered sexual violence in Cyprus in 1974, as well as internationally, a priority.’
‘Not to reproduce pain, not to trap women in the identity of the victim, but to publicly declare that these women belong to history. That they deserve remembrance, recognition and honour,’ she stressed.
Frederickou shared a recent conversation she had with a woman who, in her words, experienced this horror.
‘I spoke to her about today’s event. She was pleased and deeply moved. I asked her whether she would like to attend. She said ‘yes’. But when she realised there would be cameras, her answer changed. ‘I can’t, my daughter. I can’t have people see me on television.’ Fifty-two years later, she is still afraid, still feels shame, still worries about what people will say. She still carries the consequences, not only of the rape itself, but also of everything that followed,’ Frederickou said.
She also described the woman’s reaction when she spoke to her about the monument, saying that ‘at first she was frightened. She thought names would be inscribed on it and feared being exposed.’
When Frederickou explained the vision behind the monument, showed her photographs of the Korean women’s memorial and clarified that it would be a monument of honour rather than stigma, the woman’s attitude changed.
‘She looked at me and said, ‘Build it, my daughter.’ Then she added: ‘Build it somewhere close to us.’ I will never forget those words. Because hidden within them is perhaps the deepest need of these women: to know that they have not been forgotten, to know that society sees them, respects them and honours them,’ Frederickou said emotionally.
Fourlas: Fifty-two years later, the silence has been broken
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In his intervention, the Member of the European Parliament Loucas Fourlas referred to the adoption of a resolution by the European Parliament concerning the women who were abused during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.
He said the resolution would soon be submitted to the plenary session of the European Parliament for approval and expressed confidence that it would be adopted by an overwhelming majority.
‘I will confess something to you. On the day the resolution was adopted, I immediately thought of those women. Not politically. I thought of the women who had waited 52 years to hear that someone believed them. That someone recognised their truth. That Europe recognised that what they suffered was not a forgotten footnote in history. It was a war crime committed by Turkey in Cyprus’ he noted.