Read before you leap

So, a representative of the party that boasts of consultation, has, in one fell swoop, brushed aside the approval, proposals and comments presented by NGOs working on gender issues by pooh-poohing Labour's document on gender equality.

On the same day of the publication of this diatribe against Labour's policy document, I received a colour brochure from the Prime Minister - costing the country quite a few thousand liri - inviting me and all adult citizens of Malta to take part in a consultation process in the run up to next year's budget.

Surely we will hear, as we have these last years, how fruitful these consultations have been and how helpful they were for the consolidation (sic) of the government's economic and financial policy. And that the Nationalist Party is the party and government of dialogue. Unlike when the Labour Party does the exercise; then it's a waste of time. Shoot every Labour document down please. Spin doctor's orders.

Minister Dolores Cristina dismissed Labour's equality document as "been there, done that". This was hardly the reaction of the Federation of Women's Organisations, of the National Council of Women, of the Malta Association of Women in Business, of the UHM, of the GWU, of Ward u Zghar... On the contrary, these organisations expressed their high approval of the document, at times presenting proposals - which were, by and large, included in the final document - and augured that the next Labour government will implement the programme presented to them for their comments.

But maybe one shouldn't be so hard on the minister, as it seems she hasn't had the time to read the document before pronouncing herself against it. Had she read it, she would not have said that the document calls "for legislation to combat discrimination on the grounds of equality between men and women when the Act for the Promotion of Equality between Women and Men was brought into force by a Nationalist government in 2003".

First of all the Labour document speaks about the strengthening of this Act and, secondly, we couldn't possibly "ask" for this legislation because it was a Labour government in 1997 that commissioned the drafting of this Bill and, following the change in government, kept pushing for its enactment.

The Nationalist government kept dragging its feet and only enacted the Bill when the European Union insisted that Malta must have legislation to ensure equality between women and men, prior to accession. What followed then was that Parliament was presented with a Bill that was a watered down version to what Labour had drafted, covering only the minimum requested by the EU. Hence the need to strengthen it, as stated in Labour's document.

The minister's comment regarding the concept of gender equality versus treating issues exclusively from the perspective of women is wide of the mark. The measures submitted in the document are precisely part and parcel of the gender management policy being advocated by the Labour programme. A gender mainstreaming strategy highlights areas of concern that require positive action to bring about equality between women and men.

The Labour policy paper does exactly that, and identifies the areas that need particular attention. In so doing, Labour shows up all the inequalities that still pervade our society and puts the government on the spot for its lack of effective measures.

The Labour document addresses the need for a gender management system and advocates the establishment of a monitoring body. The minister says that "a gender mainstreaming system in government service" was introduced years ago.

Firstly, gender mainstreaming is a strategy not a system. Secondly, a gender management system includes gender mainstreaming as one strategy to achieve equality. Moreover, it would be interesting if the minister were to present audit reports by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality monitoring the "implementation of gender mainstreaming in government service", as she puts it.

The minister continues to run on the spot on quotas too. While her party has come out in favour of quotas within its structures, even if years after the MLP adopted this policy, the minister declares that women in decision-making positions have "to get there on their own merit, not because they are placed there through some quota". May I remind the minister of the findings of the report on the lack of women in the upper echelons of the Maltese public service prepared by Patricia Leighton. This report lists 20 recommendations that need to be implemented in order to do away with the overt and covert discriminatory practices in the public service that are keeping women from reaching decision-making positions.

No wonder little progress is being registered if the minister is not even aware of these concerns. True concepts of equality do not exclude positive action because it is only through such actions that a level playing field can be ensured.

The minister then goes on to mention other measures supposedly implemented by the government; for instance, the regulation of childcare centres. What we have now, after so many years, are guidelines not regulations. In fact, many parents will remember that a couple of budgets ago, a financial subsidy for parents who send their children to licensed childcare centres was promised.

When parents went to apply, they found that none of them were eligible because there are no licensed childcare centres in Malta. In fact, the money allotted for this purpose remained untouched because nobody qualified for it.

While appreciating the position of existing childcare centres, the situation of unregulated facilities has been in existence for far too long and continues to be so.

The minister then mentions, in one sentence, part-timers, the self-employed and tele-working, as if everything is working perfectly in these areas and Labour may not mention them. Just ask the NGOs and the workers involved.

No, minister. You ought to understand that people are mature enough and have the experience to see through watered down measures adopted to give an image of effective action. This has been proved by the various NGOs and many individuals who have given their full backing to the Labour programme to bring about full equality between women and men in our society.

Criticism can be very healthy but only if the critic has the decency to bother to read what it is she wants to criticise. And then tries to do it in a serious manner.

Ms Dalli is a sociologist and the MLP's main spokesman for public function and women's rights.

Editorial note:
Parts of this article had inadvertantly appeared as a letter on February 24. The error is regretted.