Mother launches petition to extend paid maternity leave

A first-time mother has launched a petition calling on the government to extend paid maternity leave “so that one parent can remain at home with their child until the age of two”.

Christabel Vella, who became a mother nine months ago, said she was fortunate to have the support ‒ both from her family and her workplace ‒ to stay at home with her baby for 10 months. But this should not be up to luck or privilege.

“When the 14-18 week period of maternity leave arrived, I remember thinking: at this point I’m meant to be returning to work under the current maternity leave rules. I came to the realisation that this baby is still so small. How was I going to take him to childcare and leave him with someone who is essentially a stranger, even though they are trained professionals?

“I was fortunate enough to have the choice to stay with my baby for 10 months but not everyone is so fortunate. This should not be a matter of luck or privilege. Every mother should have that choice,” said Vella, 35.

She decided to start the petition even though she will not personally benefit from any change as she is due to return to work soon.

The petition, which as of Saturday afternoon had amassed 1,151 signatures, also calls for leave to be transferable to the other parent where necessary.

The petition says: “We respectfully ask the government to strengthen its commitment to families by extending paid maternity leave, giving parents real choice, and recognising this support as an investment in our children, families, and future.”

Vella stressed that her proposal is not aimed against childcare services or parents who choose to pursue their careers. Childcare centres provide an important service and many families rely on them. However, she argued that families currently do not have a genuine choice.

“Financial pressures, including loans and living costs, force parents to return to work very shortly after birth. As a result, babies often enter childcare at just three months ‒ before they can even sit up ‒ and miss the early bonding, emotional security and care that only their own parents can provide”.

How does Malta's maternity leave compare?

She noted that Malta’s current maternity leave is among the shortest in the European Union, making the issue particularly urgent.

Maternity leave entitlement in Malta is below the EU average of 23.5 weeks. In Malta, new mothers are entitled to 18 weeks of maternity leave: fully paid up to the 14th week and remunerated at a lower rate for the remaining four weeks.

Since 2022, fathers have been granted 10 days of paid paternity leave ‒ up from one day ‒ though uptake remains low.

Financial pressures force parents to return to work very shortly after birth

Asked why she was requesting two years, she said this was based on research that shows that the first two years of a baby’s life are very important developmentally.

Consultation

A spokesperson for the parliamentary secretariat for social dialogue said that one of the 2026 Budget measures is to enhance work-life balance, including maternity leave. To this effect, the parliamentary secretariat will, this month, commence a structured consultation process focused specifically on strengthening work-life balance policies.

The aim is to build on measures already introduced by the government, including carers’ leave, urgent family leave, maternity leave, parental leave, paternity leave ‒ which was extended to self-employed workers ‒ miscarriage leave and bereavement leave, the spokesperson said.

The issue of extending maternity leave resurfaces periodically. Malta has the lowest fertility rate in the European Union, figures that have raised concerns among politicians from both sides of the House. Proposals for significant extensions to existing leave entitlements have been put forward.

The Nationalist Party is pushing for a full year of paid leave for new parents, combining existing maternity and parental entitlements. Labour MPs, including Ramona Attard, have joined calls for a national discussion on longer maternity leave.

The Malta Chamber said parties were risking descending into a populist competition over who offers the most family leave benefits. It also warned that more family leave might not necessarily raise birth rates but could negatively impact the productivity of Maltese businesses.

A Malta Women’s lobby expressed its disappointment at the Malta Chamber’s resistance to expanding family leave. The lobby highlighted how a 2024 study commissioned by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality confirmed a stronger demand for longer maternity and paternity leave. The study also highlights that 89% of men aged 18-39 believe the current parental leave compensation is “inadequate”.

The lobby said the findings show Maltese families want and need more support, and that the Chamber’s objections are “out of touch” with the lived realities of young parents in Malta.

The lobby insisted that family leave reform be addressed and treated as a national priority.

You can see the petition here.