Lived Experiences

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They arrive with suitcases full of expectation and the quiet belief that hard work will lead to stability. For many TCNs in Malta, the decision to come here is not taken lightly. It often means leaving children behind, borrowing money, or saying goodbye to a life that no longer offers a future. What draws them in is a promise: decent work, fair pay, and the chance to live without constant uncertainty. Unfortunately, that promise does not always survive first contact with reality. Many third-country nationals describe the same pattern. What was agreed before arrival slowly begins to shift. Working hours stretch far beyond what wasRead More…

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Sexual harassment is a pervasive issue that affects individuals worldwide, regardless of gender, age, or background, however women are much more likely to experience sexual harassment in greater numbers. It is crucial to define and understand the concept to address it effectively. Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination and abuse that involves unwelcome sexual advances, comments, requests for sexual favours, or any other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile or intimidating environment for the victim.Read More…

abortion

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“I have to tell you. I almost had an abortion during this pregnancy”, were the words I confided to my Obstetrician during a routine ultrasound. What I didn’t expect to see, was the look of horror wash over her face, as though I had admitted to some heinous, unforgivable crime. Weeks after giving birth to my first child, I sat on my bathroom floor bawling my eyes out in grief. Grief over the life I felt I was losing, as I clutched yet another positive pregnancy test. I didn’t know how I could take care of another baby. My husband was as overwhelmed as IRead More…

abortion rights

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I was 16. He was 24 and reassured me that he was never a risk to other women, so I should trust him – without a condom, notwithstanding I was mid-cycle. And so I did, letting him “spread my legs” (as some women like referring to) to show me how it’s done. It was over in a few seconds; he was on drugs or alcohol and surely was very disappointed at all the hype about sex but was worth something to write in my diary. After all I was no longer a virgin now. Fast forward two weeks, and now, single, my period was late.Read More…

care and custody

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I have an ongoing court case situation that I have been in for 3 years. The court is taking too long to issue a decree for care and custody in this case. I am a single mother of a 7 year old son. The father, who is a foreigner, has left Malta after our relationship ended and he has not paid attention, showed any interest, or heard the child for the last 4 years. Obviously I have never deprived him from access to the child. Maintenance has never been passed from his end for these last 4 years. The little one had his First HolyRead More…

selective mutism

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As a mother, to help my daughter who is fourteen and has selective mutism, I try to imagine how it feels to live a life in silence; how might it feel to go to a place where I do not know anyone and am not able to ask or answer, even though I do know how to speak and everyone tells me how clever and how bright I am; to hear the words, “don’t ask her, she can’t speak.” It is not true, but I just can’t prove them wrong. Our story started back in kindergarten when the teacher asked if she could visit us,Read More…

Paulina Dembska

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It’s 6am, on one of those glorious mornings after a night of rain, and I am doing my daily walk, the day after Paulina Dembska ’s rape and murder. All of a sudden I am afraid, as I realise I’m walking alone. I am afraid for myself and for those who identify as women in our country. I am afraid for one of my daughters who had to run home at night, as a man was following her, after being touched and harassed on a bus while everyone there turned a blind eye. I am afraid, for another one of my teenage daughters, who myRead More…

life

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People say that life is a wonderful journey, full of lessons, love and friendship. Childhood is supposed to be filled with rainbows, green yards, play, and friends screaming and running after each other. The teenage years are said to be friendship based; you make friends, go out, maybe find the one, do the most important exams you’ll ever face in your life – and pass them. Then comes adulthood, when life seems to start settling down, you find a job, maybe get into a stable relationship, marriage, children, whatever may come – you’re happy. I feel like a liar saying all this. This is notRead More…

roseanne women for women foundation

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Roseanne* is a mother with very young children, the youngest is just a few months old and already suffers from asthma. She is a survivor of domestic violence, and is trying extremely hard to budget her little income to make the food last and pay her rent and bills. The violence she has endured has left her in financial ruin, making her path back to stability a very difficult one. Her youngest child is sick and needs frequent visits to the health centre, effectively keeping Roseanne out of work since she is the only caregiver for her child. With so little money to go around,Read More…

losing a beloved pet

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I cannot believe I’m writing this article. Why do we have to lose those whom we love? The death I experienced recently was not a human death, but rather an animal death. The feelings I’m experiencing are too much for me to handle. It feels like I lost my best friend; like I lost someone who loved me unconditionally; who was there for me regardless of the time or day; who had the ability to smell my sadness from rooms away and come next to me to make me feel a tad better. Feels like I lost someone who was there for me for 18Read More…