Date: June 11, 2024
For Immediate Release
The Malta Women’s Lobby extends its congratulations to Dr. Roberta Metsola on her remarkable achievement in the recent MEP elections. Dr. Metsola’s success highlights the trust that people have in her in representing our country at the European Parliament, and her political journey serves as an inspiration to women in Malta and beyond.
Dr. Metsola’s success is also to be highlighted in view of the fact that she stands as the only woman elected out of the six Maltese MEPs, which underscores a regression from past elections when Malta had an equal representation of three women and three men in the European Parliament. This underlines a significant step backward for gender equality in our political representation.
Whilst noting that some political parties offered equal representation on the party ticket, the Malta Women’s Lobby calls on all political parties to ensure their candidate lists are truly representative of society by encouraging more women to actively participate in politics. It is imperative that these lists include an equal number of women and men, providing the electorate with a genuine choice that is representative of the demographic. Having predominantly male candidates on the ballot sheet is unacceptable, and political parties must take decisive action to rectify this imbalance.
Ensuring gender parity is not just a matter of fairness, but of enhancing the quality of our democratic processes, Ultimately, the whole of our society benefits from diverse perspectives, and it is crucial that women have an equal opportunity to contribute to the political landscape.
Furthermore, this includes the inclusion of women in current affairs and political discussion programmes in our media, particularly by the national broadcaster, who should be setting the standard for all to follow.
The Malta Women’s Lobby was beyond disappointed to note that, during the election broadcast on TVM, the guest list was completely male-dominated, perpetuating the false narrative that women are not considered capable or interested in participating in political discussions. This is wholly undemocratic and we demand better treatment from those who should be setting the example.
The Malta Women’s Lobby remains committed to advocating for gender equality and will continue to work towards a future where women are equally represented at all levels of governance.
About the Malta Women’s Lobby:
The Malta Women’s Lobby is an umbrella organisation that works in the area of women’s rights. It acts as a national forum with the aim of raising awareness and lobbying for effective change in matters related to gender equality between women and men.
Visit: https://maltawomenslobby.org for more information.
