A stronger female representation in the European Parliament will ensure that gender-sensitive issues will be better dealt with, the president of the National Council of Women, Doreen Micallef said, yesterday.

Launching the Vote for Women MEPs campaign, Ms Micallef explained that the aim was to raise awareness on the need for greater gender balance within the European Parliament, which ultimately represent Maltese society.

She urged women to contest the June 2009 elections and the public to vote for female candidates as women were "an under-valued resource of Maltese society".

As in the case of all minorities, having a stronger representation meant that sensitive issues were not ignored, she said. Should EP candidates be elected according to gender or competence?

Ms Micallef promptly replied that by just having men elected, women were not being allowed to demonstrate their competence and make their contribution.

The launch of the campaign follows a study conducted last year by the council and the National Statistics Office, which resulted in a number of recommendations to improve women's presence in political decision-making positions.

These included the need for a cultural change to promote gender balance in decision-making positions; family-friendly measures, such as affordable and accessible childcare facilities; and increasing training opportunities for women in dealing with the media and the public.

These recommendations were addressed in a training course held by the council for women aspiring for political decision-making posts and who were yesterday urged to contest the June elections.

The launch was preceded by a ceremony where Education Minister Dolores Cristina presented certificates to women who participated in the courses.

Tribute was paid to Jane Spiteri, co-founder of the NCW, who passed away on Tuesday.