One could agree or disagree with Labour MP Deborah Schembri’s defence of Sai Mizzi during a TV programme.

If Dr Schembri believes that the granting of a 13K-a month job had nothing to do with the fact that Ms Mizzi she is a minister's wife, that is up to her.

Same if the Labour MP were to tell us that there was nothing wrong in awarding this job by direct order, and nothing wrong with the refusal to publish her contract for so long.

However Dr Schembri had no right to insult housewives by her reference to stay-at-home wives as persons who spend their lives “zaqqhom mas-sink”. It was very strange for a liberal and progressive Socialist to go on national television and describe their role in society in the demeaning way she did. Hers is not a feminist position; something which jars with the promise that this will be the most feminist government in Malta’s history.

Am I to believe that Dr Schembri believes that there is nothing wrong for the wife of Ganni tad-dockyard to spend her life in the kitchen?

I hope not, as then Dr Schembri could be accused of harbouring classist positions. This would place her in direct conflict with the beliefs of liberal and progressive Socialists (oops, that horrible word once more).

Women who decide to stay at home to take care of their children, particularly when still young, do much more than spend their lives in the kitchen. Whoever tries to ridicule the role of these women is not only behaving in an insulting way, but is also showing crass ignorance of the valid contribution that housewives play in society.

It is very unfortunate that women who take this option are looked down at by the neo-liberal economic and philosophical world view. Within this mentality persons – both men and women – are dehumanised, as they viewed as production units. This mentality is mainstream today. One is valued as much as he produces: punto e basta.

It is a pity that this mentality is becoming mainstream also among us. Such a world view is neither truly progressive not really feminist. It is just dehumanizing.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.