Pia Micallef, Political advisor, civil liberties, European Parliament

At the start of his mandate, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat pledged to make this administration the most feminist administration in the history of Maltese democracy.

And while most young women my age will say that women face little to no barriers in Maltese society, there are still sectors where female participation is little to none.

If we take a look at our general elections alone, I think it becomes quite shocking to learn that only 14.8 per cent of all candidates on the ballot were women. When it comes to elected officials, only 14.5 per cent of all those elected are female. And even when we take a closer look at the different voting ballots across the districts, the highest female representation on a voting ballot was 24 per cent – proving that no matter what your opinion is on the need for quotas in political lists, it is undeniable that we have a problem and need measures to address the issues at hand.

This must be looked at however, as a transitional measure used in order to encourage political parties to expand their own internal bases to inspire more female participation. Ultimately the change that is needed needs to happen within the grassroots of political parties where parties must ultimately take more measures to give women in society a stronger voice in the formulation of policy and political ideals.

And while ensuring a set number of women appear on our ballots is an interim way forward to making sure that this change is facilitated, this is not the only measure we must advocate for.

We must ensure that we also recognise the specific barriers different kinds of women face. MPs who are mothers, for example, will face structural barriers due to Parliament’s working hours and lack of childcare facilities. This must be addressed alongside the issue of providing access to parental leave for men. Only by recognising these needs can we start to shift societal persecution on co-parenting and shared responsibility in the upbringing of a child, especially in the earlier years of the child’s development.

We must encourage women, and not silence them, when they propose big ideas

But going back to a more holistic approach to the subject, we must first and foremost work on initiatives that encourage women to enter the political arena and this can only be done with a culture change in societies with regards to the perception of political participation and affiliation.

Protection against discrimination for political affiliation is a fundamental human right, protected by the highest international law instruments in the world. And yet, many women still face political disenchantment because of the partisan divide that plagues our country – and this culture must end. We must provide safe spaces within our own political parties where all can propose new ideas, and even challenge old ones in order to ensure free and open participation in policy formulation and agenda setting.

We must encourage women, and not silence them, when they propose big ideas. We must ensure that above all, they are not mansplained for their opinions, or made to feel that their opinions are less than those of others –  especially in male-dominated fields such as science and economic policy. Only by doing this can we truly encourage people to feel more comfortable entering the political arena.

So while the issue of quotas might currently be a hot topic, it is not the only topic that needs addressing. Let us use this as a starting point to start a debate we so desperately need to ensure the policy implemented offers less tokenism, and more feminism.

Alessia Psaila Zammit, Lawyer, Siġġiewi deputy mayor and PN candidate

I was asked by a nine-year-old girl how I manage to cope with my responsibilities as a general election candidate, deputy mayor, practising lawyer and mother to a year-old daughter. Her mother thinks it’s beneficial for our daughters to have female role models. Our children are still growing up in a society where women in decision-making roles are a minority.

The recent World Economic Forum report is a reminder that women are unrepresented in decision-making roles. Our ranking in the Gender Gap Index makes for sad reading. According to the World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report 2016, since 2013 Malta dropped 24 places.

We dropped 80 places in women’s participation; 29 places in political empowerment; 37 places in healthy life expectancy for women; 42 places in equality in the health sector; 53 places in educational attainment; 30 places in wage equality, and another 30 places in estimated earned income for women.

Our country is failing half its population. Action must be taken immediately. We cannot sit on our laurels. Subsequent governments pledged to improve gender equality but progress is slow; the results anything but encouraging.

Our country is failinghalf its population. Action must be taken immediately

The Gender Gap report states that “at the current rate of change, and given the widening economic gender gap since last year, it will not be closed for another 170 years. The economic gender gap this year has reverted back to where it stood in 2008.” This means that our children, and generations to come, shall continue to experience inequality between sexes.

Politicians have an important role and urgent decisions to make. They may choose to do nothing, in the process failing young girls and women, or pull up their socks and implement measures that help combat cultural and social barriers that are keeping women from achieving their full potential.

This is not to suggest that I don’t believe that women are capable to make it on their own. However daily contact with people, from all strata, especially during house visits, has brought me face to face with the grim reality that many women still face barriers that hinder their progress.

Political parties have recently introduced positive measures which helped boost women participation in their decision-making structures. I, for one, do not agree that such measures be permanent. They serve to combat the cultural barriers that women still face, but political parties, and any institution that introduces them, should allow them for a limited period of time.

More women in decision-making roles should also result in better support services and family-friendly measures. Parliament’s schedule could be a start. Very often, MPs leave Parliament well after nine at night. They should lead by example and Parliament should not convene at unearthly hours.

Which brings me to the contentious subject of gender quotas in politics. EU Commissioner Viviene Reding said: “I don’t like quotas but I like what they do.” In normal circumstances, I would find gender quotas insulting. Women should succeed on their merit not through quotas. But these are not normal circumstances – not when our country nosedived 80 places in the Gender Gap Index. Four years ago, in the run-up to the general election, the current Prime Minister promised “the most feminist government in Malta’s history”. Facts show that he failed miserably.

I did not wait for gender quotas to be introduced before contesting the general election. I am contesting under the current system, and not waiting for our politicians to wake up and address such equality issues.

I am a firm believer that if I want change, I have to work hard to achieve it. I am determined to work, if elected as an MP, to address the deficit outlined in the Gender Gap Index, and help introduce measures that enable young women to achieve their full potential.

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