I wish I could say I was surprised by the Nationalist Party media’s sexist attack on the LEAD initiative. Truth be told this was expected and a long time coming too.

Today, Adrian Delia’s promise of a “new way” seems like the convenient catch phrase that it has turned out to be. In fact, no one within the PN, not even Delia himself, refers to this supposed ‘new way’. The PN has not changed, it remains a party rooted in its old ways, a party that has shut its doors tight to the exclusion of any progress whatsoever.

LEAD is a solid initiative taken by the Labour Party to give women a fair chance at following their political career in the face of the many obstacles that women still face today. This is an initiative that gives women of all ages a unique opportunity in an environment which is still dominated by men.

This has evidently worried the PN – a party which until today is still dominated by male figures.

Rather than the so-called ‘new way’,it is actually the PN’s old way thathas come to the fore. Completely devoid of any new ideas and incapable of countering with proposals of its own, the PN chose to attack with fabri-cated inventions.

The people have now realised that not only did the Labour Party come into government with an aim to change the economic and social foundations of Malta, but it also came into government with a solid vision for the next 15 years and beyond. LEAD is a strong testimony of this long-term vision.

What the PN hierarchy still cannot fathom is that the Labour Party values women because it believes in their potential. The PN and its media (as is made amply clear by their fabricated articles) still consider women as objects.

Am I surprised? Not at all. Just as I was not surprised when on the same day the PN announced their editorial team. Total number of women on this new team for a party with a ‘new-way’ of doing things? Zero.

A quick look at our Parliament today with 10 female MPs out of 67 MPs, shows that things are changing at a snail’s pace, if at all. Back in 1950 female representation in the Maltese Parliament stood at 10 per cent. Seventy years down the line and that percentage stands at 14.9 per cent. As a proud Maltese and a proud European I want my country to move forward, I want my country to lead and start addressing this democratic deficit now.

The PN has not changed, it remains rooted in its old ways, a party that has shut its doors tight to the exclusion of any progress whatsoever

Around a year-and-a-half ago when asked about gender quotas I said I was sceptic that this might be interpreted as tokenism and giving the impression that women are not capable of being elected on their own steam.

Fast forward to today, and after witnessing yet another legislature with a low number of women making it to Parliament, I came to realise that if we do nothing, nothing will change.

I agree that under-representation of women in our Parliament is also related to the low recruitment of women candidates by political parties. Case in point, for the 2017 general election, out of a total of 377 candidates only 47 were women. However, attracting women candidates on its own will not be the silver bullet that magically solves the issue.

I am convinced that well-implemented gender quotas can boost women’s political inclusion. Gender quotas are not the long-term answer but a short-term solution to give women visible political positions. Eventually they will not be required.

To push change, political will by all parties is required. Unfortunately I am not seeing that political will from the Nationalist Party. The PN’s sexist approach to politics is serving only to provoke chauvinistic comments by people who think women are powerless and unqualified for politics. Enough to mention comments such as “women are good only in bed and in the kitchen” that were posted on my social media pages as a reaction to the PN’s article on LEAD.

Myself, the Labour Party and all those involved in the project are more determined than ever to make sure that LEAD and the women participating in it will be tomorrow’s successful politicians.

In the meantime, Delia must show us that talking the talk does not suffice and we look forward to see whether he (and his party) are capable of walking  the walk.

Miriam Dalli is a Labour MEP.