When Myriam Spiteri Debono was pregnant with her third child and campaigning for a national election, a fellow party member actively discouraged voters from supporting her because she was too busy as a mother and breadwinner to serve the public effectively.

The incident might sound like a matter of the past. But it’s still happening today as recounted by Nationalist MP Rebekah Borg who is pregnant with her second child and who admitted often faces the comment: "How will you manage and find the time?"

The President of the Republic and the MP were among those sharing their stories during a seminar titled 'Women, Politics and Violence', organised by the Gender Equality and Sexual Diversity Committee in collaboration with the Gender and Sexualities Department within the Faculty for Social Wellbeing. 

President Myriam Spiteri Debono

Spiteri Debono noted that while she was fortunate to advocate for equality before the internet era, sexist remarks were still common.

“One of the other candidates from the same party went around the district urging voters not to vote for me because I had three kids and was the main breadwinner, implying I wouldn’t have time to serve citizens,” she said.

"At the time, even women agreed with this. Now, fortunately, many seem to have moved away from that thinking."

But the president warned of a new, toxic form of violence targeting women in politics - often rooted in cultural resistance to female leadership. She was referring to online abuse.

"Violence takes many forms: sexual harassment, online abuse, even physical threats," she said.

"Now the digital sphere has become the latest platform for abuse against women. While some may see this as an issue of the past, it's still very real today.

Rebekah Borg, currently pregnant with her second child, shared that she frequently heard dismissive remarks, which her husband never received. She stressed that they made it work because they had lots of support.

"I’m an engineer and a lawyer. Being an engineer was so difficult as a woman that going into politics actually felt easier," she said, as she recalled being mistaken for an architect’s secretary.

"Now, most of the abuse I receive is online and sexual. The comments are disgusting, but I ignore them and focus on my work."

As a mother of a toddler, juggling a full-time job and her parliamentary duties, time was the biggest challenge, she said. She stressed the need for better support systems: childcare, flexible hours, maternity leave, and breastfeeding rooms.

Sexual threats, personal insults 

Former PN MP and MEP Therese Comodini Cachia spoke about how she faced abuse since beginning her career as a human rights lawyer, which escalated during her 10 years in politics.

“I’ve had my home checked for security reasons. I once found someone near my car making a sexual threat. When walking into parliament after concluding my work on Malta’s only public inquiry [into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia], I was told I ‘looked lovely’ with no mention of my actual contribution to democracy.”

She highlighted the double standards faced by women in politics. “When I announced I wouldn’t run again, I was told: ‘Let’s speak tomorrow because you’re emotional.’ Then others said I was ‘too strong’ for politics. My response? I’ll wear being called a ‘bitch’ as a badge of honour.”

Her message to aspiring women in politics: "You can do it. But don’t try to do it alone. We need strong support systems in place."

Women politicians Rebekah Borg, Sandra Gauci, Katya De Giovanni, Therese Comodini Cachia

ADPD chairperson Sandra Gauci said she has been harassed since her blogging days, long before she entered politics.

“The mentality is still that a woman’s place is with the kids,” she said, explaining why she keeps her own children – now in their teens - out of the public eye “for their safety”.

"In my case, the abuse is about being ‘too masculine', especially because of my voice. I’ve been called a witch, told to hang myself, threatened with rape, and told to shut up. I've faced character assassination… there’s a lot of character to assassinate."

Labour MP Katya De Giovanni said she doesn’t hide her child, but said one experience really unsettled her: the way women are treated in local party clubs.

“Men enter with entourages. As a woman, I walked in alone and everyone came to hug and kiss me.” She too spoke of the constant challenge of time.

A call for action

Sandra Scicluna, Dean of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, said women face a wide range of abuse: from physical attacks to psychological, symbolic, and sexual violence, including online hate speech.

She cited a 2023 survey across 22 EU countries, which revealed that 71% of women in politics experience psychological violence, 48% face cyber violence, 20% endure sexual violence, and 4% are physically attacked. Almost none report the abuse to the police.

Prof. JosAnn Cutajar, head of the Department of Gender and Sexualities, described the seminar as a call for action to dismantle systemic barriers that silence women.

Speaking about action, Parliamentary Secretary for Equality Rebecca Buttigieg noted that while Malta has laws against hate crimes, there’s still no dedicated legislation addressing harmful online content - something she says must change

“This legislation needs to address emerging technologies like AI, which is now being used to create deepfakes targeting women,” she said, adding that a committee will be appointed to explore and recommend new measures.

"There will always be something"

University Pro-Rector Carmen Sammut pointed to research showing that women in leadership roles are expected to balance assertiveness with nurturing behaviour.

“Women’s participation in public life is threatened by cyber violence… by shaming and isolation. There’s always a reason: in President Spiteri Debono’s case, it was her pregnancy. Now, it’s the gender balance mechanism. There will always be whisper campaigns,” she said.

Speaking about Malta’s gender-corrective mechanism used in the 2022 elections, Sammut said it successfully increased women’s representation in Parliament. It was passed with cross-party support and has since been implemented in 13 other EU countries.