Not fit for purpose

What the deputy mayor of Mqabba, Jonathan Dingli, said about women enjoying the prospect of being beaten was not a metaphor. It was not taken out of context and his words were not twisted, as he tried to imply in a half-hearted apology.

His remark about women contained in a Facebook comment below a story about Nationalist Party leadership contender Adrian Delia was purely and simply derogatory and misogynistic.

Had Dingli limited his comment to describing Delia as a masochist for wanting to re-contest the PN leadership it would have been fair comment. But no, the Labour Party councillor had to imply that women liked to be beaten.

For Dingli to even contemplate that his words were twisted or taken out of context is pathetic. No one needed to twist his words; they were clear enough. But he even went on to reinforce his view in comments he gave to Times of Malta: “The Maltese like to say that a woman enjoys being beaten (tissawwat) even while having sex with somebody.”

We wonder what Dingli would be telling girls and women in Mqabba during home visits or village events. We wonder whether Dingli would be lecturing them how Maltese women like to be beaten and how they should accept this behaviour as normal. We shudder to think what Dingli’s reaction would be if an Mqabba resident would open up to him about the violence she is suffering at the hands of her partner.

The Commissioner on Gender-based Violence and Domestic Violence Samantha Pace Gasan not only condemned the deputy mayor’s comment but also called for accountability to be shouldered.

So far, the only semblance of accountability that Dingli has shown is an ‘apology’ in which he blamed others for misunderstanding him. Maybe in his world women not only like to be beaten but are not even deserving of an honest apology. He should be ashamed of himself.

But what is worse in all this is the Labour Party’s reaction. PL Deputy Leader Alex Agius Saliba said the deputy mayor’s words did not reflect the values and principles of the party but the apology was enough. Coming from the party that ensured the Istanbul Convention against gender-based violence was fully transposed into Maltese legislation and which made femicide a distinct crime, Agius Saliba’s reaction was underwhelming to say the least. We expected a tougher tone, followed by concrete action. But we may have expected too much, it seems.

Dingli is not fit for purpose and should resign from the Mqabba council, which is ironically led by a female mayor. He should also be kicked out of the Labour Party for his inability to even understand what he did wrong.

It is instances like these that show how far off we still are as a society from dealing with violence against women with the seriousness it deserves.

In the words of the gender-based violence commissioner: “The consequences of such behaviour are the reinforcement of a misogynistic culture that leads to further inequalities and gender-based violence.”

Pace Gasan added that when such comments are made by individuals with political responsibility, “accountability is essential since they have a greater impact on Maltese society”.

Unfortunately, the deputy mayor’s attitude is not an exception. Reforms Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg is right when she says that more work is required to change these mistaken and unacceptable attitudes. However, this cultural battle must start within the political parties themselves by ensuring their representatives reflect the values of equality and respect. And when they slip up, they should be accountable for their actions.