VIEW FROM THE CPA SMALL BRANCHES CHAIRPERSON
WOMEN AND THEIR PARTICIPATION IN PARLIAMENT View from the CPA Small Branches Chairperson It has been a long way for women to get to where a representative in the local Parliament. It is also worth they are today in the political and diplomatic scene. noting that the Deputy Speaker, as well as our current The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Head of State, are both women. are celebrating thirty years of working towards With regard to Parliamentary Service staff, the increase of female elected representatives the majority of employees are women. Out of 50 in Parliaments and Legislatures across the employees, 29 are women, with a considerable Commonwealth and to ensure that women’s issues number of them benefiting from work-life balance are brought to the fore in parliamentary debate and measures, mainly telework. Furthermore, over the past legislation. I augur the Commonwealth Women months, the House has agreed to shift all its sessions Parliamentarians (CWP) network at least another from the evening to the afternoon which benefits both thirty years of success in their roles of improving the Members of Parliament and the parliamentary staff. Hon. Anġelo Farrugia, awareness and ability of all Parliamentarians, male MP, Chairperson of the and female, and encouraging them to take a gender Importance of gender equality in Parliaments CPA Small Branches and perspective in all aspects of their role - legislation, Gender equality in Parliaments is crucial for Speaker of the House of oversight and representation, thereby helping them Parliaments to function and legislate effectively, Representatives of the to become genuinely gender-sensitive institutions. to ensure the respect of the fundamental human Parliament of Malta. In this celebratory issue of The Parliamentarian, rights, and, indeed, to retain their legitimacy as truly I would like to take the opportunity to celebrate representative of their constituents. The role of the participation of women and ultimately celebrating democratic women in the democratic process was highlighted way back in the values, which, for those who have been here long enough know what a United Nations Convention on the Political Rights of Women of 1954, struggle this can be. The Commonwealth is a community which varies enshrining women’s equal rights to vote, hold office, and access public in opportunities for economic, social and political change, not least in services as provided for male citizens within national laws. respect of the participation and inclusion of women. I would like to shed some light in the situation in Malta. On a general Legislating – Whilst gender equality is an issue that involves note, women have been granted voting rights in 1947. During the last and impacts men and women, some legislation affects women years, we have seen improvements regarding gender equality and and men’s lives differently. Thus, Bills about certain issues (namely gender equity, reinforced in 2012 when Parliament enacted Act No. IX health, education, socio-economic and political challenges facing of 2012 - Equality for Men and Women (Amendment) Act. There was disadvantaged groups) are more likely to be proposed by women. a significant increase in female participation throughout the Maltese Additionally, the outcome of certain Bills can only be fairly reviewed workforce. This was enabled by the political will to make this leap, in Parliament if both viewpoints are considered. For example: in the including the introduction of free childcare centres for all working UK House of Commons, there have been instances where Bills that mothers, together with an in-work benefit for women who are returning protect women – such as one preventing and combating violence to full time employment including tax credits for women over 35 years against women – have been vehemently opposed by male MPs, while of age and the extension of flexi-time, telework and reduced hours; and other men have campaigned for Bills that could harm women, such as an extension of local afterschool educational programmes. As a result, providing anonymity to men accused of rape. female participation has increased by 16% since 2013. Malta has also achieved gender parity on the Judicial Bench. Female university Human rights – Gender equality is a founding principle of the United students have now outnumbered their male counterparts, resulting in Nations. Yet even today, many women around the world still lack equal more female professionals in all sectors. rights and empowerment opportunities, and face discrimination in work, On the other hand, Parliament remains one of the sectors which health care and education, and suffer physical and sexual violence (figures has failed to keep up, where only 14.9% of the elected Members of published by the World Health Organization in 2016 estimate that one Parliament are women, with most of the elected female Members on the out of every three women worldwide has experienced violence at the Government’s side of the House, holding a ministerial or junior ministerial hands of a partner, or sexual violence by someone other than a partner), role. The youngest MP, who is also female, serves as Chairperson of the and this can also be seen in some countries of our Commonwealth Standing Committee for Family Affairs. As a member of the European family. Discrimination and violence against women are rooted in gender Union, Malta has elected four out of six women to represent its citizens stereotypes, harmful cultural norms and discriminatory legislation. Unequal in the European Parliament, one of whom gave up her seat to become social and legal statuses prevent women and girls from enjoying their 10 | The Parliamentarian | 2019: Issue One | 100th year of publishing