Former justice minister calls for a more family-friendly parliament

The minister who introduced Malta’s gender-quota mechanism three years ago has called for a “more determined drive” to implement family-friendly measures in parliament.

Edward Zammit Lewis, who was justice minister when the quota system was introduced ahead of the 2022 general election, said that when it comes to family-friendly measures and structural changes to foster a more inclusive environment in Parliament, there needs to be stronger commitment by the government and the parliamentary services.

Over the years, the absence of such measures has been a topic of debate. A gender audit carried out in 2021 by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and tabled in Parliament in October 2024, highlighted the lack of a strategic plan for gender equality.

Among its recommendations, the audit pointed to the urgent need for childcare facilities in parliament, a recommendation still unmet today. MPs often rely on each other to care for their children, and there is no designated breastfeeding room or a room where children can play or do their homework.

The report also raised the possibility of exploring a full-time parliamentary model, which would better support women who often shoulder the dual burden of professional and family responsibilities. It highlighted the lack of structured maternity leave provisions and the penalties MPs face for being absent, regardless of reason.

It stated that currently, any MP who is absent is fined, and that the different life experiences of male and female MPs are not adequately addressed. There are no formal procedures for pregnancy-related absences, maternity leave, or time off for caregiving duties.

These matters are usually left to the discretion of the Speaker. Including such provisions in the standing orders, the report argued, would provide much-needed clarity and fairness.

The audit also recommended evaluating the effectiveness of the gender-quota system ahead of the next general election.

Missing measures

The gender-corrective mechanism, introduced ahead of the 2022 general election, aims to ensure that at least 40% of parliamentary seats are held by women as the under-represented sex. It followed the 2019 establishment of a technical committee by the Labour government to address the underrepresentation of women in Parliament.

Led by Professor Carmen Sammut, the committee made several recommendations, but only the quota system was implemented.

Other recommendations that were not acted on included the introduction of gender-balanced ballot lists; encouraging political parties to motivate, train and mentor women candidates; implementing family-friendly policies and structural changes within parliament; and establishing a cross-party women’s caucus to ensure that an increased female presence translates into meaningful policymaking and legislative contributions.

Times of Malta asked the government if and when any of these measures will be implemented. No replies were received by the time of writing.

Gender-balanced ballots?

Zammit Lewis stressed that the mechanism was introduced “without delay” ahead of the election.

He noted that while parties should take responsibility for training and mentoring women candidates, gender-balanced ballot lists alone would not guarantee parity. Such a move could limit the number of valid male candidates on the list if not enough women come forward. In his view, the quota mechanism needs a few more years to bear fruit.

In recent weeks, the quota mechanism has faced renewed criticism. Nationalist MP Claudette Buttigieg announced she would refuse to be elected through the system in the next election, arguing that it reduced women to “tokens” of equality. She stated that some male candidates were telling voters they did not need to vote for women as they’d “get in anyway”. Buttigieg was elected on her own merit in 2013 and 2017 and then re-elected in 2022 through the gender-quota mechanism.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola echoed some of these concerns. While acknowledging the mechanism’s “noble aims”, she warn­ed it may have unintentionally incentivised votes against women candidates. She said it had become a smokescreen to boost the number of women statistically, and suggested that a better solution would be to require political parties to present gender-balanced lists of candidates to ensure balance at the selection stage.

Party policies

Asked about this, a spokesperson for the Nationalist Party said the PN has always strived to present a list of candidates that reflects all sectors of Maltese society, and that all candidates received the best possible training. “We encourage all our candidates to focus on promoting themselves and the party to get the best results possible,” he said.

The Labour Party said it had already piloted a successful programme to encourage women’s participation in politics and will continue to support and train prospective female Labour candidates. The party added that it was unaware of any Labour male candidates discouraging votes for women, and that internal structures were in place to scrutinise candidates’ ethics and conduct, regardless of gender.

Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms Rebecca Buttigieg stressed that all MPs, regardless of how they were elected, carry the same responsibility to serve the nation.

“That trust should be regarded as an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to national pro­gress… To suggest that MPs elected through the gender corrective mechanism are in any way less legitimate or capable than their peers would not only be inaccurate, but also disrespectful, both to the individuals themselves and to the democratic process that enabled their election,” she said.