The Council of Ministers decided to designate April 20 as a Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the “Women Return” Movement.
In a written statement, Gender Equality Commissioner Jozi Christodoulou stated that the decision constitutes a tangible recognition of the significant contribution made by Cypriot women to Cyprus’s struggle against the Turkish occupation.
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“The ‘Women Return’ Movement, through its peaceful and mass-scale actions, brought international attention to the Cyprus problem and demonstrated the power of women’s participation and social mobilization. The march on April 20, 1975, toward occupied Famagusta, with the message ‘We come in peace,’ stands as one of the most iconic moments of peaceful resistance by Cypriot women, while the marches that followed, up until 1989, served as a timeless expression of the women’s determination, peaceful advocacy, and active participation in the struggle for freedom and return.”
“Recognizing this historical journey is a tribute owed to the women who fought and continue to fight for a free, peaceful, and reunified Cyprus,” she adds.
“At the same time, it serves as an important legacy for younger generations, so that they may learn about and recognize the decisive role women have played in the history of our homeland,” she concludes.
