Nicosia, Cyprus, September 25, 2026. The Cuban ambassador to Cyprus, Rubén Pino Martínez, attended on Thursday the presentation of the “Women’s Contribution Award 'Kleio Christodoulidou and Katina Nicolaou,'” given by the Panchyprian Women’s Movement (POGO), whose tenth edition honours the outstanding Cypriot female activist and leader Skevi Koukouma.
The award ceremony, established by POGO in 2017, marks a special milestone for this Women’s Contribution Award, aiming to highlight the struggles, achievements, and contributions of women in all areas of life; promote female role models; preserve memory; and help challenge the stereotypes that limit women’s choices, status, and participation in our societies.
When honouring her, the Secretary General of the AKEL Party, Stefanos Stefanou, proudly shared that this award is given to Skevi Koukouma for being “a comrade and activist whose work has closely linked her name with the modern woman, with the active fight for women's rights, and with tireless dedication to the women's movement and beyond” (…) “She is,” he said, “a comrade who consciously chose to be on the front line, acting alongside the people, alongside workers, alongside women, alongside every person who fights and struggles for rights, a better life, and dignity. Skevi's path is inseparably tied to POGO and AKEL.”
In the successive statements by Josie Christodoulou, Commissioner for Gender Equality; Doğuş Derya, President of the Women’s Organization of the Republican Party of Turkey; and Eleni Evagorou herself, Secretary General of the Pan-Cypriot Women’s Movement (POGO), they emphasised the cherished legacy of Skevi Koukouma throughout her long career in social justice and women’s rights.
The night of September 24 was different for the everyday passersby on the lower level of the central Eleftheria Square in Nicosia. Friends from all possible generations came to pay their respects. “We felt that an event dedicated to Skevi couldn’t be limited to a closed room,” noted her disciple and successor at POGO, Eleni Evagorou. “She herself never allowed her work to be confined that way. She has always been among the people, part of the community, standing by those who needed to be heard, to find support, and to seek justice.”
Skevi shared passages from her life in her words, connected to great women of humanity, and kindly included in her memoirs those days shared with Vilma Espín Guillois, the always beloved President of the Federation of Cuban Women. For this reason, she was also given a well-deserved recognition there for her dedication and persistence in serving POGO at the international level.
Congratulations, Skevi Koukouma; may your entire journey and legacy continue to be an example for the women of Cyprus and the world, and may your mark remain lasting for contemporary society in general. Keep inspiring, Skevi, with your pride as a Cypriot woman.
Embassy of Cuba in Cyprus.