MLP launches equality plan

The Labour Party yesterday launched a draft plan on equality between men and women that proposes setting up child care centres in the public sector and creating a breast screening programme, among other measures.

It is one of a series of five plans the party is launching for discussion and which will then be put to its general conference next year for approval.

Dr Sant said the MLP was proud that along the years it had worked for the full participation of women in society. It was also instrumental in changing mentalities that helped bring about equal conditions between men and women.

When Labour was in government between 1996 and 1998 it had launched initiatives aimed at further promoting equality, but they had ended up in limbo following the change in government.

The proposals being made in the plan, he said, provide access for women to the country's decision-making structures, access to economic opportunities through the creation of support structures that would enable responsibility sharing and an adjustment to the legal protection system to reflect the current social situation.

The party's spokesman on equality, Helena Dalli, who drew up the report, said that in the past 20 years the number of women in employment had increased by just three per cent.

The government, she said, was promising measures in next year's budget to increase the number but such proposals had to be feasible.

In one of its budgets, she said, the Nationalist government had proposed a subsidy to people sending their children to regulated child care centres but no such centres existed in the country to date because there were still no regulations in place.

She said a new Labour government would revise the laws on domestic violence and equality to make them stronger. It would also embark on a breast screening programme whereas the women who were at high risk would be recalled for tests.

Some of the proposals made are:

¤ The rights of cohabiting couples would be safeguarded by law.

¤ Quotas would be introduced in order to raise the number of women in positions of responsibility.

¤ Self-employed women would have access to the same maternity benefits as women employees.

¤ Part-time workers would start enjoying all benefits on a pro rata basis once they started paying their social security contributions.

¤ Child care services for workers in the public sector would be set up.

¤ A breast screening programme would be launched.

¤ A programme through which more mothers would be encouraged to breastfeed would be devised.

¤ The Domestic Violence Act would be amended for more protection to be given to women.

¤ The information service on social benefits would be strengthened.

¤ Court fees would be reduced especially where these affected women who were not financially independent or who had a low income.