Katherine Clerides

Katherine Clerides (Greek: Καίτη Κληρίδου; 10 May 1949 – 5 October 2025), also Keti Clerides, was a Cypriot activist who advocated for the peaceful reunification of Cyprus. She was Honorary President of the Board of the Glafcos Clerides Institute in Cyprus and a former MP in the House of Representatives, Cyprus. She was the first woman to be elected as vice-president of the Democratic Rally party (2003–2007) and the first Secretary of the Women's Organization of her party. She was a member of the Cyprus Conflict Resolution Trainers Group [1] which is thought to have helped to start the peace movement in Cyprus. She was known for her decades of work on the rights of women and girls in Cyprus and for her inter-community and reconciliation work on the divided island. She was a barrister-at-law and a citizen peace-builder. In 2016 she became a JAMS Weinstein Senior Fellow in recognition of her contribution to the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), having participated in conflict resolution workshops, organized by the Fulbright Commission, for Greek and Turkish Cypriots working for the reconciliation and reunification of the island. She was married to Costas Shammas, an accountant and peace activist.