Equality Commission signals consent for quotas to increase female MPs in Maltese parliament

Malta’s equality commission says gender quotas for MPs ‘fundamentally different’ from minority quotas: ‘ensuring balanced representation of women and men in elected office concerns totality of population’

Raining men. PD leader Marlene Farrugia (left, third row) was one of the successful candidates to be returned to the House in 2017
Raining men. PD leader Marlene Farrugia (left, third row) was one of the successful candidates to be returned to the House in 2017

Malta’s equality commission (NCPE) has signaled its consent for quotas that would ensure a balanced representation of women in the Maltese parliament.

The proposal by the Labour administration is to introduce a temporary quota system that would boost female MPs without decreasing the current crop of MPs in the House

“[These quotas] are fundamentally different from quotas for minority groups since ensuring a balanced representation of women and men in elected office concerns the totality of the population and, if implemented well, should have a positive impact on people from minority social groups, be they women or men,” the NCPE, which is headed by Renee Laiviera, said.

“A gender quota system should go hand-in-hand with a gender mainstreaming exercise by political parties, civil society and government that identifies and addresses the specific needs and barriers experienced by women and men from different social groups.

“In doing so, political institutions may become more representative of society at large through an increased involvement in politics of women and men from different groups,” the NCPE said.

Malta elected less woman in the House of Representatives in the 2017 election. The Labour Party is now embarking on a party campaign to recruit more female candidates.

In its statement, the NCEP said it was important to take measures that could reach an equal representation between women and men in the political sphere in order to address the current democratic deficit.

“The under-representation of one sex, currently women, effectively means that women are not fully included in the democratic processes. Several countries, such as France and Slovenia, have recognised the need to address this deficit and have enacted legislative quotas for the balanced representation of women and men in politics.

“Women, constituting half of the Maltese population, have consistently been heavily underrepresented in elected office. This is due to structural factors closely linked to historical and current unequal power relations in Maltese society.”