Gender based violence, inequality and low participation of women, were all issues that still required the country’s attention, President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said on Friday.

Speaking on International Women’s Day, the outgoing President said the country still needed to make a mental shift when it came to gender equality and for a culture of inclusion could truly take hold.

Women’s day, she said, gave the country the opportunity to celebrate women, but also served as a reminder of the challenges that remained.

This was a chance to take stock of where Malta stood as a country on the matter of equality.

Earlier, Equality Minister Helena Dalli launched proposals for an equality action plan aimed at weeding out gender discrimination.  

The empowerment of women, President Coleiro Preca said, had been a priority throughout her five-year term as head of state.

“I am proud that we managed to bring women’s groups together on one platform,” she said, referring to empower, which was set up back in 2017.

Her presidency had also seen the setting up of an observatory on femicide.

President Coleiro Preca said she was sure there was still much to be accomplished to ensure that women were given enough visibility and that the obstacles they faced were removed.

Recent findings published by the European Commission showed how one in three women in the EU were victims of physical or sexual violence.

We need to respond to this situation, President Coleiro Preca said.

Above all, she said it was imperative to spread a message of hope, and a vision of Malta that treated all its citizens equally whether they be men, women, boys, or girls.