The Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS) Celebrates 15 Years of Activism towards Gender Equality and Women’s Rights
The Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS) celebrated 15 years of activism towards gender equality and women’s rights by organising a commemorative event on 27 November 2015. Guests were treated to finger food and drinks as well as a series of special live performances that included music, dance and theatrical performances by Alexia Vassiliou, Saxo by Fano, DJ Dena Kyriakides, Creativity Dance Studio and XX/XY: Gender Revelations. The two latter acts were revivals of initiatives such as One Billion Rising and a localised performance inspired by the Vagina Monologues that materialised following a series of workshops. Susana Pavlou, Director of MIGS, thanked those in attendance for their long term support as well as her remarkable colleagues and research associates. She highlighted that MIGS would continue to promote gender equality and women’s rights for as long as discrimination between the genders exists.
MIGS is a non-profit organisation that has been actively promoting and contributing to projects of social, political, and economic themes relating to gender with an emphasis on the Mediterranean region. It is committed to the elimination of discrimination using a combination of research, advocacy and lobbying, as well as trainings, conferences, and other activities. MIGS aims to act as a main contributor to the intellectual, political, and socio-political life of the region as this relates to issues of gender and to do so using a multidisciplinary approach and in collaboration with other institutions.
MIGS is closely affiliated to the University of Nicosia, the largest academic institution in Cyprus. The institute has been actively involved, both as a coordinating institution and as a partner, in the administration and implementation of a number of projects related to issues of gender. More specifically, the institute has conducted work in the area of the media, interpersonal violence against women and girls, migration, leadership and decision making, ethno-political conflict, employment and economic life. The institute has received funding from the European Commission, the Global Fund for Women, the United Nations Office for Project Services, the British Council, the European Journalism Centre, the Embassy of the United States of America and the National Machinery of Women’s Rights in Cyprus as well as from various other national, regional, and international organisations.
MIGS works with a broad network of scholars and researchers with expertise in gender related areas and has strong links with a wide network of organisations working on gender in the Mediterranean region and the European Union, particularly civil society organisations, research institutes, and universities. MIGS is a member of several large European networks including the European Women’s Lobby (EWL), Women Against Violence in Europe (WAVE), Women In Development Europe (WIDE), and ATHENA – Socrates Thematic Network Project. MIGS is responsible for the secretariat for the Women’s International Studies Europe (WISE) network. The Institute engages in the regular exchange of information with these organisations and networks through newsletters, mailing lists, country reports on gender related topics, as well as information on new publications, training seminars, workshops, and conferences.
Through its projects MIGS has established expertise in project management and administration including the drafting of technical and financial proposals, the implementation and supervision of activities including research and training, as well as the conceptual and logistical organisation of events such as conferences, seminars, workshops, press conferences, awareness campaigns and others. MIGS has also acquired substantial knowledge of the rules and regulations of various EU funding bodies, particularly the European Commission.
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