I am a firm believer that no person should be treated as a second-class citizen. Additionally, I believe that the State is duty bound to remove any barriers that may lead to unequal treatment or hinder the attainment of substantive equality.

It is with this in mind that when I became Minister for Civil Liberties in 2013, I knew that my position demanded leadership and vision on these matters.

I also knew that it was important for my ministry to develop the necessary structures to deal with this matter systematically and to link with other countries that had already progressed in this field.

In the two months that followed, with regard to the area of LGBTIQ equality, I did two things: I established a consultative council consisting of civil society representatives, and I decided to take an active role at the IDAHO Forum – an event marking the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia – that was being organised for the first time by the Netherlands.

Today, three years since that forum, I am pleased that, thanks to the work that was done, Malta moved fast and steadily up the ladder on the ILGA-Europe rainbow index, reaching the top spot in October 2015 (in contrast to 18th position, held in May 2013). In this year’s index, published last week, we even strengthened our placing further, and we should continue to do so once the legislative initiatives that we are proposing are adopted by Parliament.

The international community is increasingly looking at Malta as a source of inspiration or a partner in the struggle for equality

It was a great satisfaction to sit at the IDAHO conference ministerial meeting last week with my European counterparts and see that during the debate, Malta was regarded as a leader in this area of policy.

Surely, changes in legislation and policy are important for minorities to have their rights respected. However, by themselves they are not enough.

We need to win hearts and minds, and adopt equality and anti-discrimination as a way of life. I am heartened when I meet people who tell me that the changes in legislation have allowed them to live their life to the full and without fear of repercussions.

I am also glad to witness how the international community is increasingly looking at Malta as a source of inspiration or a partner in the struggle for equality. Today is the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, and Unesco will be highlighting Malta within the international community as an example of how to fight discrimination in schools.

Surely, the lesson of the past three years is that greater equality hurts no one, but does a lot to emancipate those who are excluded or discriminated against, while bringing out the best in us. Indeed, we have carried on with our lives, irrespective of the introduction of the law on civil unions recognising same-sex couples for the first time, a change in terms of the provisions regarding the gender recognition of trans people and the new protection of intersex persons. But these new rights have done a lot to change the dynamics around LGBTIQ issues and to allow LGBTIQ people to feel that they are full citizens with full rights and obligations.

My challenge as Minister for Civil Liberties is now to widen the impact and ensure that what we have achieved in this sector is fully extended to the whole of society.

We need to ensure that no one, no matter their characteristics, is excluded or discriminated against. It is because of this that I am piloting the work on an Equality Act covering all spheres of life, from employment to access to goods, services and all other sectors. It is also because of this that the proposed legislation will be replacing the current National Commission for the Promotion of Equality with a human rights institution fully in line with the principles of the United Nations.

The principle behind this Bill is that all should be protected and all should have an accessible remedy in case of discrimination. Additionally, it is important that both government and the private sector fight discrimination and promote equality in their operations.

To the sceptics, I say that equality has other important ramifications. Indeed it is a proven fact that greater equality makes business sense as well. Equality allows everyone to compete on a level playing field for jobs or other opportunities. Likewise, it allows businesses to reach out to new potential clients and have wider pools of candidates for positions within their companies.

My call for action remains: should you encounter discrimination, challenge it. Likewise, promote equality whenever you can. It is through the actions of every one of us that we can make Malta truly equal and inclusive.

Helena Dalli is Minister for Civil Liberties

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.