Honorable Members of Parliament,
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Dear friends,
I would also like to welcome, in particular, our foreign guests; Dr. Zita Gurmai, President of the Party of European Socialist Women, and Ms. Caterina Chinicci, Member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs in the European Parliament, who have joined us specifically for this event.
I would like to thank the team at the President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, under the leadership of Dr Ruth Farrugia – Director General for organising today’s event.
I am pleased to observe this this event entitled: Women in Politics and Leadership, has brought together academics, practitioners, professionals, and civil society activists, to celebrate the role which women play in our society.
It is a time for us to remember the accomplishments we have made, as a society and as a country, to nurture equity, respect, and dignity.
Furthermore, it is an opportunity for us, to consider the challenges, that are still faced by women and girls in Malta. Many such challenges have been identified and explored during today’s workshops.
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Be Bold for Change.”
We truly must be bold, by working together to develop innovative and further inclusive strategies for the future.
We must be bold by taking the necessary proactive steps, to achieve full equity.
We must be bold, to ensure that every girl and woman in our islands is able to live her life with dignity, to develop her full potential.
The road towards true and effective gender equity is not easy.
However, we must not be discouraged.
Let us take strength from one another; from the enthusiasm of our young people; and from the determination we feel to safeguard universal human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Women’s Rights are Human Rights.
We must continue to encourage one another, so as to be resilient in the face of challenges and struggles.
Supporting each other in this way, we will transform these challenges into fruitful opportunities for the necessary change.
We must be vociferous and challenge gender discrimination, wherever it occurs, whether in the home, whether in the workplace, or whether in public life.
We must create a culture which empowers and values the participation of all women, particularly the inclusion of women in roles of leadership and decision-making.
We must aim to be truly transformative to ensure a sustainable and far-reaching effect.
We must continue to address the injustices which have, for too long, been part of our status quo.
Gender equity is not simply a “women’s issue.” It is essential for our healthy democratic republic to take our responsibilities, as women and men, and the whole of society, seriously.
Gender equity is most secure when it is built on dignity and respect. Equity, dignity, and respect are fundamental values of social justice.
The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda makes the need for gender equality clear, particularly in Sustainable Development Goal 5.
SDG 5 calls for the people of the world to work together, empowering women and girls, ensuring that women have full and effective participation at all levels of decision-making across political, economic, and public life.
However, according to the latest data from the United Nations, female representation in global government stands at 23%.
In Malta, the percentage of female members of parliament is less than 13%.
While the latest European Gender Equality Index rates Malta at 29.4% regarding the political participation of Maltese women, the EU average stands at 49.8%.
By 2030, the nations of the world have committed themselves to raise the percentage of women in global government to 50%. We definitely need to invest more of our energies and resources into making this target a reality.
Today is also an opportunity for us to appeal to all political parties in Malta, to encourage more women, by exploring innovative ways, to participate in the political and public life of our country.
Of course, political participation is not the only area in which female representation remains low. In Malta, a recent NCPE report, on Gender-Balanced Representation in Decision-Making, revealed that gender-balanced representation at company board level in Malta is the lowest among the European Union’s Member States.
Only 2.7% of women are represented on the boards of the largest publicly-listed companies in Malta, and for every woman who either holds the position of director or CEO, there are four men occupying such a role.
Furthermore, the gender pay gap continues to widen. Figures from Eurostat show that the gap has increased from 4.5% in 2014 to 10.6% in 2016. We must definitely do more, in synergy between our national authorities and civil society, to address this alarming state of affairs.
The implications of the economic discrimination of women, and women’s absence from leadership positions, is a cause for alarm.
We cannot allow women’s perspectives to be absent from policy-making and decision-taking processes.
Therefore, I do believe that greater inclusion and equity within decision-making positions is essential if we are to take our democracy to the next level, evolving as a nation, and promoting a better future for all citizens.
I am glad to see so many women here today, from diverse sectors and walks of life.
I believe that our efforts must be uninterrupted and consistent, to succeed in propelling a positive and long-lasting social change.
This is what Women’s Day is all about!
We must continue to be the women who have been crucial in this journey, as a nation, towards gender equity, to ensure that all of us reach the much-desired destination.
We must continue to be the women who have championed the intrinsic right of each woman to participate in all aspects of society, to ensure full and effective gender participation.
We must continue to be the women who have helped to lift up the girls of this country, to believe in themselves and be empowered to attain a better and brighter future.
It is due to the efforts of the many women who have committed themselves to create a positive change that we are here, today, to be able to launch the Network of Young Women Leaders.
This gives me, and should give other women like me, peace of mind for the future.
Dear young women leaders, I encourage you to be the young activists of today, for change. Do not be deterred or discouraged. The journey will continue to be difficult, but I am convinced and confident that you have the necessary strength and ability to reach the destination, both for yourselves and future generations.
In this way, we can rest assured that you will be the courageous and effective leaders of tomorrow.
I would like to take this opportunity to also encourage more young women in our country to join this Network of Young Women Leaders.
I am convinced that, out there, there are many more young women who can give a valid contribution, to equality, equity, dignity and respect for all.
Please continue to build on the work we have begun, to create a culture of peace, of solidarity, and of wellbeing, for women and girls, and for all of society.
Even though today’s commemoration focuses on our achievements and our challenges, we cannot forget the women, across the world, who are still struggling in some of the most basic ways. In real time, there are women and girls fleeing from violence, from war, and from precarity.
We must remember them, and work on their behalf too.
Young women leaders of our country, let us never forget those women and girls who live beyond our shores, some of whom have lost everything. You must be international activists for the cause of peace.
I wish you every success in your endeavours. Please rest assured that we will be there to support, mentor, and encourage you.
In conclusion, let us remember that …
When women succeed and thrive, so do men, and our society.
When women are valued as full collaborators in the work to strengthen our society, men are equally enriched.
When women are respected and their rights are protected, whole communities will flourish.
We owe it to the future of our children to continue to promote, to protect, and to celebrate the rights of women, and the rights of all people who experience oppression and injustice.
We must be bold in our endeavours.
We must continue to champion the change that we wish to see in our communities, our country, in our region, and across the world.
May this Women’s Day be different!
Finally, I would like to thank each and every one of you, for your participation.
(Click here to view the accompanying Powerpoint Presentation)