Cyprus's 'Employer for Equality' Certification Scheme

Cyprus's Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance set up a National Certification Body in April 2014, chaired by the Ministry's Permanent Secretary and including the Gender Equality Commissioner and employer and trade union representatives (OEV, KEVE, SEK, PEO, DEOK). It grew out of a 2010–2015 national project addressing the root causes of the gender pay gap, including labour-inspection training and reviews of collective agreements.
Enterprises can apply annually for one of two labels: 'Good Practice' for a single qualifying initiative, or 'Employer for Equality' for a comprehensive system covering recruitment, promotion, training, pay policy, work-life balance and appointment of a Gender Equality Officer. Applications are assessed through workplace visits and staff interviews before the tripartite Body approves certification, which is valid for four years and renewable. Certified status also counts as an advantage in public procurement tenders.
By the time the European Institute for Gender Equality documented the scheme, 57 companies and organisations — including six universities or research bodies — had been certified, 20 of them on renewal. The Ministry continued the programme in December 2025, honouring four new 'Employer for Equality' organisations (Cyta, CTC Group, the Cyprus University of Technology, and Grant Thornton Cyprus) plus seven more under the 'Good Practice' label. Over a decade, though, the scheme's reach remains modest relative to Cyprus's employer base, and neither the Ministry nor EIGE has published pay-gap outcome data specifically attributable to certified firms.

Read the full analysis: https://www.mlsi.gov.cy/mlsi/dlr/dlr.nsf/0/dae4c65c07cbe038c22586e800359b0b?OpenDocument=&ExpandSection=7%2C6%2C8%2C10%2C4