Young people are still failing to speak up about gender equality, according to members of University organisation Gender Equality Malta, GEM, launched earlier at the University’s Quadrangle.

Addressing the press, GEM secretary general Johann Aguis said the organisation would be working closely with other organisations to promote gender equality through campaigns and regular debates.

Mr Aguis, a fourth-year law student said that the group’s first order of business would be getting more males involved.

“At the moment, I am the only male member of the executive. Getting men to speak in favour of gender equality is hard and we want to change that,” Mr Aguis said. He said that often, many students he approached believed it was not their place to discuss gender equality.

The group was set up after a series of sessions on gender equality organised by student-run media organisation Insite brought out the need of such a group on campus.

“There’s an urgent need to engage more young people in debates on gender equality. That’s is what our ultimate aim will be,” Mr Aguis said, adding that the group would be applying to enroll as a voluntary organisation in the coming weeks as part of efforts to take the group to a national level.