This week we celebrated Women’s Day. During home visits a few days ago, someone asked me why we need to celebrate this day. We have in recent decades improved women’s rights, work and educational opportunities; we have enacted a constitutional ban on discrimination on the basis of sex and sexual orientation and increased women’s participation in public life; but we are far from reaching equality. We are rather actually going back.
The reality check comes in the form of the Gender Gap Calculator published yearly by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The WEF comments on equality in the world generally: “The pace of change has slowed over the last three years and, based on the current trajectory, with all else remaining equal, it will take 169 years for the world to close this economic gap completely.”
This detailed report covers 144 countries and its data has revealed that progress is too slow around the world for reaching the full potential of women – half of the world population – to reach gender parity. I am 33 years old and as shown in the result of the Gender Gap Calculator I will have to be 202 years old to reach the year when the world is expected to have gender parity. This means that unless progress in this area is accelerated, our children, our children’s children and many more generations will live in a world of gender inequality.
We have many capable and skilled women, but we are still under-represented where it matters
Often, people ask me why I am contesting the next general election when I have a young daughter and a legal profession on which to focus. My reply is straightforward. Our country needs more women to step forward and participate in politics and decision making. I cannot wait for other politicians to bring change and equality. The Gender Gap Report is a reminder of the lost talent and potential of so many women.
It should be a wake-up call for our government too. Unfortunately, there have been too many wake-up calls, past and present, before someone pressed ‘snooze’.
In Malta, we are actually going back in this report that compares progress in all countries. Comparing the WEF report for Malta 2013 and the one on 2016 makes for some sad reading. We dropped 24 places in the general Gender Gap Index which averages all the data examined by the WEF.
We dropped 80 places in women’s participation where real binding decisions are taken at Cabinet level. We dropped 29 places in political empowerment because so few women have been appointed on public boards. We dropped 37 places in healthy life expectancy for women. We dropped 42 places in equality in the health sector. We dropped 53 places in educational attainment. We dropped 30 places in wage equality. We dropped another 30 places in estimated earned income for women.
Change must beckon. I believe that when change is needed, I have to work hard for it, today. As women, we are called to increase our participation in public life. We have many capable and skilled women, but we are still under-represented where it matters. Participation of women in public life is often limited due to lack of support services and cultural barriers.
Corruption reduces the importance given to the principle of equality and non-discrimination. Cronyism generally helps men, and this is one reason we have dropped so far in political participation.
Unfortunately we have a government which is only focused on the crises (plural fully intended) management of its own scandals while we drop from position 84 to 108 in three years – the worst position in recent history.
Malta needs bolder leadership for equality. While nearing the end of this legislature, we are called to take the right decision for a better future for us and our children.
Alessia Psaila Zammit is a lawyer, Siġġiewi deputy mayor and PN election candidate.