70 years ago, women in Malta achieved the right to vote.
70 years ago, Agatha Barbara was elected as the first-ever woman in the Maltese Parliament.
60 years ago, Agatha Barbara became the first-ever Maltese female Minister. It took us another 43 years for a second Maltese female Minister to be appointed.
30 years ago, Agatha Barbara reached the end of her term as the first-ever female President of Malta.
It took us 32 more years for a second Maltese female to be appointed as Head of State.
2017 commemorates a number of significant historical milestones in the participation of women in public and political life. This year should serve us as a reality check.
However, after 70 years, since the introduction of universal suffrage in this country, female representation in the Maltese Parliament still stands at only 13%. This is far less than the gender parity our society deserves.
If this rate of progress is maintained, it will take us another 269 years to achieve gender parity at the highest policy-making and decision-taking institution of our country.
We cannot afford to remain complacent. This state of affairs dictates effective positive action, as a transitory measure to achieve gender equality and equity.
There is a dire need to change outdated and unjust attitudes and to create a conducive environment for women to feel empowered to participate in public and political life.
Our political parties must be proactively involved to ensure the right attitude, environment, and opportunities for more women to reach the higher echelons of party structures.
We need an overhaul of our Parliamentary system, whereby we ensure that the right balance, between family life and public life is struck. We need a family-friendly Parliament, with the necessary facilities to match.
Furthermore, our educational system needs to be further enhanced, to nurture both our girls and boys in democratic participation.
Our politicians have a responsibility to be a shining light for our young women and men to be encouraged to aspire to serve our nation.
On the occasion of my third year in office, and during the months preceding general elections, I feel duty bound, to reiterate my Women’s Day appeals.
I urge our political leaders, to take this important opportunity to ensure, through positive action, that the next legislature will be a significant milestone to reach true and effective equality for Maltese society. Achieving a much higher rate of female participation, in the political life of this country will ensure that Maltese society will be justly represented.
The setting up of “The Network of Young Women Leaders”, gives me hope for the future. I am sure that these young, courageous women, coming from different political allegiances, who came together to stand up for themselves and others, will hopefully, with many other young women joining them in the future, and with the genuine support of emancipated men, create the necessary awareness in our society to ensure a sustainable equal gender representation.
We must do more to challenge the attitudes that perpetuate gender discrimination and stereotyping, which hinder parity and equity. I sincerely believe that this can only be achieved if women are present, in sizeable numbers, across policy-making, and decision-taking positions.
We cannot wait 269 years for gender parity to be achieved in this country. We must affirm our international commitment to achieve Gender Equality as declared in Sustainable Development Goal 5, of the United Nations Agenda 2030.
Time is running out on us.
Hence, we must act now.
We must endeavour as a nation to ensure that, one day soon enough, it will be second nature for every woman and girl to know that her aspirations, to be of service in political and public life, can, indeed, become a reality.
On concluding, we must remember that gender equality is not just a woman’s right, but most importantly, it is an intrinsic fundamental human right, that is key, to a healthy democracy.
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70 sena ilu, in-nisa Maltin kisbu d-dritt tal-vot.
70 sena ilu, Agatha Barbara ġiet eletta bħala l-ewwel mara fil-Parlament Malti.
60 sena ilu, Agatha Barabara saret l-ewwel Ministru mara f’pajjiżna.
Kien biss wara 43 sena li pajjiżna kellu t-tieni mara tokkupa l-kariga ta’ Ministru.
30 sena ilu, ġiet fi tmiemha l-Presidenza ta’ Agatha Barbara, bħala l-ewwel President mara li kellu pajjiżna.
Kellhom jgħaddu 32 sena biex pajjiżna kellu t-tieni mara tokkupa din il-kariga, ta’ Kap ta’ Stat.
Din is-sena, qed nikkommemoraw numru ta’ anniversarji sinifikanti fl-istorja tal-parteċipazzjoni tan-nisa fil-ħajja pubblika u politika.
Għalhekk huwa xieraq li s-sena 2017, isservina ta’ verifika u analiżi tar-realta’.
Sadanittant, minkejja li għaddew 70 sena mill-kisba għad-dritt tal-vot u għall-elezzjoni ta’ l-ewwel rappreżentanta mara, ir-rappreżentanza femminili fil-Parlament Malti, għada fil-livell baxx ta’ 13%. Bla dubju, dan il-fatt huwa ferm anqas mill-parita’ fir-rappreżentanza li tixirqilha s-soċjeta’ Maltija, fl-2017.
Jekk nibqgħu mexjin b’din ir-rata ta’ rappreżentanza femminili, fl-ogħla istituzzjoni ta’ pajjiżna fejn issir il-politika u jittieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet, se jkollhom jgħaddu madwar 269 sena oħra, biex nilħqu l-parita’.
Żgur li ma’ nistgħux nibqgħu passivi quddiem dan l-istat ta’ fatt. Din ir-realta’ għandha teżiġi l-introduzzjoni ta’ azzjoni pożittiva b’mod immedjat bħala miżura temporanja għat-tranżizzjoni meħtieġa biex nilħqu aktar ugwaljanza u parita’.
Hemm ħtieġa urġenti li nbiddlu l-attitudnijiet skaduti u inġusti, li jxekklu lill-mara milli tipparteċipa fil-ħajja pubblika u politika ta’ pajjiżna. Jinħtieġ li noħolqu ambjent li jwassal biex il-mara tħossha empowered u inkoraġġuta li tipparteċipa f’dawn l-oqsma.
Il-partiti politiċi jridu jkunu ferm aktar impenjati u proattivi biex jassiguraw l-opportunitajiet meħtieġa biex aktar nisa jilħqu l-ogħla livelli fl-istrutturi tal-partiti.
Jinħtieġ bidla radikali fis-sistema Parlamentari tagħna, li tassigura il-bilanċ ġust bejn il-ħajja tal-familja u r-rwol tal-ħajja pubblika. Il-Parlament tagħna għandu jkun ambjent favur il-familja biex nassiguraw l-parteċipazzjoni ta’ kulħadd. Jinħtieġ li jkollna Parlament li huwa verament family-friendly u li jkun mgħammar bil-faċilitajiet meħtieġa għal dan il-għan.
Jeħtieġ li ntejbu s-sistema edukattiva b’mod li t-tfal tagħna jiġu mrawwma f’ambjent ta’ parteċipazzjoni demokratika.
Il-politiċi f’pajjiżna għandhom ir-responsabbilta’ li jservu ta’ ispirazzjoni għaż-żgħażagħ biex jiżviluppaw l-aspirazzjoni li jservu lil pajjiżna.
Inħossni fid-dmir, li fl-okkażjoni tat-tielet sena minn mindu inħtart bħala President, u fix-xhur li għandhom jwasslu għal elezzjoni ġenerali, ntenni mill-ġdid l-appelli tiegħi li kont għamilt fl-okkażjoni ta’ Jum il-Mara.
Nappella lill-mexxejja politiċi tagħna, biex jieħdu l-opportunita’ ħalli jassiguraw rappreżentanza xierqa femminili għall-leġislatura li jmiss, billi jittieħdu azzjonijiet pożittivi u proattivi.
Huwa biss b’rata ogħla ta’ parteċipazzjoni femminili li nistgħu nassiguraw li s-soċjeta’ Maltija tkun tassew rappreżentata b’mod ġust.
It-twaqqif tan-Network of Young Women Leaders, jagħtini ħafna tama għall-futur. Ninsab ċerta li dawn in-nisa żgħażagħ, kuraġġuzi u b’allejanzi politiċi differenti li ngħaqdu, biex jieqfu kontra l-isfidi u, flimkien ma’ nisa żgħażagħ oħra li għad iridu jingħaqdu magħhom, kif ukoll bl-appoġġ ġenwin ta’ rġiel emanċipati, se joħolqu l-għarfien neċessarju biex is-soċjeta’ tagħna jkollha rappreżentanza ekwa, ġusta u sostenibbli.
Għandna bżonn nagħmlu iktar biex ngħelbu l-isfidi kontra dawk l-attitudnijiet li qed iwasslu biex nipperpetwaw id-diskriminazzjoni u l-isterjotipi. Nemmen li dan l-għan jista’ jintlaħaq kemm il-darba jkollna nisa preżenti, f’numri sostanzjali, fil-pożizzjonijiet fejn titfassal il-politika u fejn jittieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet.
Żgur li ma’ nistgħux nistennew 269 sena biex tinkiseb l-ugwaljanza. Irridu nirrijaffermaw l-impenn internazzjonali tagħna biex tinkiseb l-ugwaljanza bejn in-nisa u l-irġiel skond kif iddikjarat f’mira numru 5 tal-Miri Globali għall-Iżvillupp Sostenibbli, minquxa fl-Aġenda 2030 tal-Ġnus Magħquda.
Iż-żmien huwa kontra tagħna.
Jinħtieġ li nieħdu azzjoni.
Irridu naħdmu flimkien biex niggarantixxu li, fi żmien qasir, issir ħaġa naturali li l-aspirazzjoni ta’ kull mara u tifla li jkunu ta’ servizz fil-ħajja pubblika u politika, tkun realta’.
Irridu niftakru li l-ugwaljanza mhijiex dritt tan-nisa, iżda hija dritt fundamentali tal-bniedem, u bażi essenzjali għat-tisħiħ tad-demokrazija tagħna.