Explainer | Why are quotas being introduced for the Maltese parliament?

Why is the government trying to put in more women MPs in the Maltese parliament?

Malta is one of the countries with the lowest number of women elected in office, which the government says is due barriers hindering their full and equal access to political participation. “Positive measures open up access to capable women whose abilities would have, otherwise, remained untapped.” A 2017 Eurobarometer survey found 78% of Maltese respondents saying they are “totally in favour” of legal measures to ensure parity between women and men in politics.

Do positive measures work?

EU countries that have successfully introduced such measures include Portugal, Spain, Belgium, France, Ireland and Slovenia. The EIU Democracy Index (2018) observed that “quotas themselves have provoked debate, with some criticising them as undemocratic, but they have clearly been effective in creating more inclusive legislatures, and they are being established in an increasing number of countries.”

The government committee pushing the reform says quotas are just part of a host of measures that can help break the pattern of gender imbalance in politics, male incumbency and male-dominated networks. “A democracy where half of the population is consistently under-represented cannot be considered a sound democracy. Quotas address this serious democratic deficit and can ensure permanent gender balanced representation.”

Which affirmative measures are being proposed for our parliamentary structure?

Four measures are proposed, which include adding a maximum 12 additional MPs in the House until a gender balance of 40% is reached. The additional seats will not change the number of elected MPs. The additional seats will require an estimated increased budget of €325,500 for the House of Representatives.

How will it work?

The first women (or in terms of the law ‘the under-represented sex’) to fill the additional seats will be “hanging candidates”, that is, the last women candidates to be eliminated before the fifth MP from any district was elected. Their votes will then be utilised to elect the other women MPs. Other women MPs will be elected from the votes of MPs elected through a casual election.

Will the system be applied indefinitely?

The committee is proposing a sunset clause of 20 years, where the mechanism would expire, ostensibly after reaching what the committee is calling “critical mass” of 33%, that would make corrective measures unnecessary. “The argument is that it is unrealistic to expect major changes when numbers of women representatives are small because they tend to be tokens. 30 to 35 % is considered a strong enough percentage to start a change in legislative institutions, policy priorities and political behaviour.”

Why not force parties to present a balanced candidates’ list?

The reform proposes state funding for parties to present a balanced candidature of at least 40% of both sexes in order to increase the probability of an equitable result at elections. The political parties will be obliged to give a financial account of how these funds are utilised to promote equality between the sexes in politics and of having taring candidates pertaining to the under-represented sex.

What stops more women from entering politics without quotas?

The committee said that research shows women entering into politics face the same challenges around the world, investing more of their time in caring roles within the family including children and the elderly; they have less financial assets and less confidence to penetrate the political sphere that are controlled by male incumbents. “For women to have truly the same opportunities as men, historical and structural disadvantages must be addressed. Otherwise, whilst individual women might be successful, on the whole, the percentage of women in politics will always remain well below that of men.”

The committee says that on the whole, women are considerably less likely to choose politics in comparison to men, leading to an unequal distribution of political power between women and men. “We need to understand ‘why’ this pattern exists by looking at factors such as stereotypes, unequal sharing of family responsibilities, lack of resources available, lack of role models and male incumbency.”

Why don’t women vote for women?

The committee says “women are not a homogenous group”. There are diverse opinions and perspectives and female representation needs to reflect these variations and to appeal to a wider spectrum of constituents. Unless parties are encouraged to field more women, the choice for constituents will be limited. Since 2008, women candidates have been elected in two electoral districts. This is a significant achievement that questions the contention that ‘women do not vote for women’.