An open letter to Joyce Cassar and Anna Vella

Dear Ms Cassar and Ms Vella,

I refer to the letter you addressed to women, advising ‘us’ on how to vote for our best interest in the referendum on divorce. In a society where women’s issues are largely ignored, it was extremely flattering to be given such attention.

I am not at all surprised that the letter failed to address any of the urgent issues that women face in this society, such as  women’s low representation at a political level and in the labour market, the gender pay gap, or the fact that one in four women in Malta is the victim of domestic violence. What you chose to do instead is to advise ‘us’ to vote against the introduction of divorce so that “women are not abandoned by their husbands”. Of course, that is your campaign.

The problem is you seem to think that, as women, we all share the same thoughts and fears rather than being individuals with diverse views and beliefs. It may come as a surprise to you that there are women in this country who do not need the State to make choices on their behalf. A vast number of ‘us’ would like to see the State do what it is supposed to do – devise and implement policies that eliminate discrimination against women.

You completely ignore the possibility that women may be the ones demanding such a choice. You completely ignore the fact that it may be in a woman’s interest to walk away from a marriage in which she is abused. You completely ignore the fact that this referendum is about bringing civil rights in this country in line with the rest of the world (except for that other bastion of democracy, the Philippines).

Let me take this opportunity to tell you that your letter was seen by many of ‘us’ women for what it really was: a cheap attempt to manipulate people’s thoughts to serve the interests you endorse.

You have chosen to be part of a campaign driven by an alliance that has used every dirty rule in the book to win this ‘battle’. The campaign you form part of has twisted facts, manipulated statistics and provoked a culture of fear. Your campaign has claimed the high moral ground, and yet it has been the more aggressive and the more destructive.

Your campaign has not stopped at exploiting children, by portraying them on billboards parroting your message, but moved on to exploiting women, using tactics such as the letter sent in your name designed to feed on the deepest fears in women made vulnerable by a society that believes their best function is to secure a man and reproduce.

You may have missed the fact that, in the process, you have also been extremely insulting to men. The messages coming from your campaign have portrayed men as prone to abandoning families at the sight of a woman’s waistline. You, who claim to believe in marriage, have inadvertently revealed your lack of faith in the institution. You believe a couple needs chains placed on them by the State to stay together.

A word of advice back to you now: If you really want to help women, make your voice heard for real gender equality… or would that be a threat to your notion of a healthy society? In the meantime, give women some credit. ‘We’ are capable of making our own choices based on reason, not emotion.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Muscat

Caroline Muscat is a freelance journalist who blogs at       www.carolinemuscat.com/