Sexual harassment complaints in the public sector go unrecorded due to the absence of a unified data collection system, a CNA investigation reveals.

Head of the department of public administration and personnel, Maria Kleanthous, said an electronic system to collect complaint data was planned but never completed due to contractual issues.

As a result, complaints are handled by multiple bodies: the human rights committee, the labour department, the commissioner for administration, or internally within ministries. Data is collected systematically only for cases leading to disciplinary action and is maintained exclusively by the public service commission, without details on the nature of the offenses.

The public service commission’s 2024 report shows that 14 disciplinary proceedings took place between 2022 and 2024, though it does not specify the nature of the offenses, while the office of the administration commissioner received ten sexual harassment complaints related to the public sector during the same period.

Regarding the outcome of the complaints, ombudswoman Maria Stylianou-Lottides said some cases led to disciplinary action, others remain under investigation, and delays have occurred, as in one instance involving the education ministry, which is reportedly awaiting a legal service opinion before releasing a case file. In certain cases, the ombudswoman issued recommendations or guidance, while some complaints were withdrawn.

Head of the women’s department at Sek trade union Despina Isaia said that the ten complaints reported by the labour department over the last three years “do not reflect the magnitude of the problem,” adding that the workplace bullying helpline launched by Sek in 2021 receives daily calls.

She called for a clear protocol requiring all relevant authorities to complete investigations within set timeframes.

“The government should be responsible for collecting this data and recording how many complaints were made, how many concerned sexual harassment, how many bullying, etc.”

These reports could also serve as evidence for victims filing police complaints, she added.

“People are afraid and feel they won’t get justice,” Isaia said, citing cases where the labour department responded that complaints did not fall under existing legislation. She questioned whether the department truly enforces its rights under the law to enter workplaces and investigate complaints, asking, “Is this done or are we limited to letters between departments?”

Akel’s women’s department Pogo secretary Eleni Evagorou echoed the need for more direct and transparent procedures.

She argued that criminal proceedings should come first, followed by disciplinary action if there is a conviction. She said treating sexual harassment only as a civil service issue “relegates the problem” and victims are unlikely to pursue criminal cases if disciplinary measures fail.

Evagorou highlighted the challenges in the private sector, where many victims hesitate to report harassment due to job insecurity. “Several young women came to us thinking of reporting,” she said, adding that, especially in precarious jobs, victims fear that if they speak out, they will be forced to resign and end up without a salary at the end of the month.

In 2018, a mandatory code of conduct against sexual harassment was introduced for the civil service, outlining complaint procedures and case management. Trade unions created a similar code for the private sector, required by EU law, with employers liable if they fail to adopt it. Despite this, complaints to the gender equality committee remain few, with only a handful submitted recently.

Gender equality commissioner Josie Christodoulou acknowledged the lack of consolidated data and plans to collaborate with the statistical service to improve reporting. Her office leads training programmes to challenge stereotypes and promote gender equality and works with ministries to enhance complaint handling. An online training course on sexual harassment is also being rolled out across the civil service.

“Sexual harassment is a result of the long-standing power relations between men and women and directly concerns equality,” she said, adding that her office can support progress in this area through collaboration with all relevant bodies.