Women traditionally take longer to say “yes” to political involvement and unless structures changed to help women carefully balance multiple aspects of life gender parity in politics will take longer to achieve. 

According to the active Women’s Power Index, just 13 out of 193 countries achieved a significant representation of women ministers. At the current rate, it may take another half a century to attain gender equality in parliaments worldwide, with Malta too still facing significant challenges in this area.

The journey of women in politics was brought to the fore this week during a panel discussion titled Women in Politics for Empowerment: Overcoming Constraints and Challenges.

Hosted by President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, who delivered the keynote speech, the panel discussion was facilitated by EmPOWer, a platform for women’s organisations, and brought together a diverse group of female politicians to share their experiences.

Karen Buttigieg, chair of EmPOWer, stressed the collective responsibility to encourage and support women’s participation in decision-making processes. 

“Society should not only welcome but celebrate women’s unique contributions in public life. This will inspire a more equitable society and, in turn, foster a vibrant and fair democracy that genuinely represents the voices of the people,” she said.

The panelists provided first-hand insights into their involvement at various levels of politics and shared their strategies for entering and thriving in the traditionally male-dominated political sphere, despite the structural challenges and barriers they faced.

The key message that emerged was that for these women, politics was deeply personal and a natural calling, driven by a desire to help people achieve their goals, overcome challenges, and empathise with the public’s concerns.

The panelists included Labour Party representative Fiona Borg Lewis, Nationalist Party MP Claudette Buttigieg, PN candidate Francine Farrugia, ADPD chair Sandra Gauci, and Gouda mayor Marija Sara Vella Gafa. The discussion was chaired by Marie Avellino.