ODIHR co-organizes conference for advancing women’s political participation in Malta
Advancing gender equality in elected office in Malta was the focus of a conference on “Women’s Political Participation in Malta”, held on 3 November 2014 in Valletta, Malta.
The conference, which brought together representatives from political parties, Members of Parliament, policymakers and academics, as well as representatives from civil society and the media, was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in partnership with the House of Representatives, the Commissioner for the Promotion of Equality and the National Council of Women of Malta. International experts from the Czech Republic, Sweden and the United Kingdom also shared experiences and good practices from their own countries.
In his welcome and opening remarks, the Honourable Angelo Farrugia, Speaker of the House of Representatives, highlighted the participation of Maltese women in politics, where two of the nine presidents are women.
“Women’s participation in politics is a key indicator of the quality of democratic culture,” Speaker Farrugia said. “Gender-sensitive Parliaments, whose structures, operations, methods and work respond to the needs and interest of both men and women, are thus central to good parliamentary governance.”
In light of the election of four female MEPs, out of a total of six from Malta in the last European Parliament elections, Speaker Farrugia expressed his hope that the participation of women in Maltese politics would continue to increase and that the conference would serve as a real catalyst to the national debate on this important topic.
“Gender equality in elected office is the basis of democracy,” said Nathalie Tagwerker, Deputy Head of the ODIHR Democratization Department. “We call on Maltese stakeholders to explore ways for advancing women’s political participation in Malta, by considering special legal measures, facilitating women’s access to political parties, and actively recruiting women for political and public office at all levels.”
The conference was organized as part of ODIHR’s efforts to advance women’s participation in political and public life in the OSCE participating States, in line with the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for Promoting Gender Equality.