Sant promises gender equality

A new Labour government would give women the chance to achieve gender equality and the means to express and achieve their aspirations, Labour leader Alfred Sant promised yesterday.

The Labour Party, he argued, was not muzzled but the government was as it was bound to introduce EU rules and regulations.

Addressing the final session of a conference organised by the women's section of the MLP at Le Meridien Phoenicia Hotel, in Floriana, Dr Sant said the former Labour government had embarked on a number of initiatives that had been side-tracked by the present government.

Labour would be prepared to adopt any good initiative, irrespective of whose idea it was.

"A Labour government would give women the chance to develop their lives, making sure no one would be marginalised.

"The government committed a cardinal sin by dismantling the parliamentary secretariat for women's rights that the Labour government had set up and which was a breakthrough for women," he said.

The secretariat was removed from the Office of the Prime Minister and passed on to the Ministry of Social Policy which already had too big a load to carry.

The Labour government had also set up a parliamentary secretariat for the self-employed which was retained by the government but with the difference that the government had appointed a person to run it who was a complete failure.

A Labour government would set quotas on the number of women it would appoint to administrative, decision-making posts.

Decisions taken by the government should mirror the visions and aspirations of women, Dr Sant said.