It is indeed disappointing that in Malta there are only six female parliamentary representatives out of a total of sixty-nine. This translates into the rather poor percentage of 8.7%, well below the 30% female parliamentary representatives recommended by the Commonwealth Gender Plan of Action 2005-2015 and the target set at Beijing in 1995 by the United Nations Organization. Furthermore, at present, all the Maltese Members of the European Parliament are males.

The presence of women in Parliament enriches the democratic process. Female parliamentarians ensure that a woman’s vision of the world, which is different from that of males, finds voices to articulate it in the highest and most powerful national institution. We should celebrate this different female vision of the world and ensure that it is not driven into the background by the preponderance of males in Parliament.

This brings us to the crucial question : “Why does Malta have such a small number of female parliamentarians?” First of all, one has to take tradition into consideration. Politics has always been regarded in Malta as predominantly a male domain. Secondly, for many women with young children it is really difficult to combine raising a family with the time necessary for campaigning and other political commitments. Thirdly, many women today have a part-time or even full-time job and this takes up quite a substantial slice of the time available for political activities. All these factors, taken together, bring about the undesirable situation that we have today.

One must pay tribute to the only female leader of a political party in Malta to date. I am, of course, referring to Mabel Strickland whose memory should serve as an inspiration to all aspiring female politicians. As the leader of the Progressive Constitutional Party, Mabel Strickland was actively involved in all the major historical events associated with the Independence period in Malta.

The Labour Party (PL) has many firsts in the field of females elected or appointed to posts of political power on a national basis. The first female representative elected to (what was then) the Legislative Assembly was Agatha Barbara in 1947. In 1955, she was also the first female to become a Minister and, in 1982, the first female to become President of the Republic. In 1996, Myriam Spiteri Debono was appointed by the Alfred Sant administration as the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The Labour Party is eager to continue its pro-active stance towards more female representatives in Parliament. In fact, in its Pjan Ghal Bidu Gdid prior to the 2008 General Election, Labour was suggesting that in the House of Representatives there should be an increase in the number of parliamentary seats on both sides of the House, as a quota, so that the number of female representatives in Parliament will increase. This Labour proposal was a very positive one as it meant doing something concrete to advance the cause of more female representatives in the Maltese Parliament.

The Nationalist Party and Alternattiva Demokratika also espouse the cause of having more female parliamentary representation. It is heartening to see that the Nationalist Cabinet of Dr Lawrence Gonzi includes two female Ministers, Giovanna Debono and Dolores Cristina. Indeed, this is a case where there is total agreement among Maltese political parties and this should augur well for more concrete work in the right direction on this important issue.

As gender equality becomes, little by little, the order of the day in our highest national institution, Parliament, we can even start dreaming of the day, albeit in the rather distant future, when Malta will have its first female Prime Minister. Are there any young women out there who dream of this possibility? It could be you. Why not?

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