New NCW president

Helga Ellul is the new president of the National Council of Women. She and the other members of the executive committee were elected at the NCW's annual general meeting, held yesterday at the Victoria Hotel, Sliema.

Outgoing president Grace Attard thanked all the members for their support and teamwork. A special word of thanks went also to all the affiliated organisations whom she called out one by one and whose participation was crucial in moments of national importance.

She also referred to the European Centre of the International Council of Women (ECICW) and the work that NCW Malta carries out in the European Region (our general secretary is senior vice-president of ECICW).

Ms Attard also thanked the International Council of Women who entrusted her with the editorship of the international newsletter. Her thanks went also to the European Women's Lobby, which for the past five years has been corresponding with NCW Malta and which has been an important source of information in particular during the negotiation and accession period. We are sure that this spirit of working together by so many colleagues in Malta and from all over the world will continue to bear fruit through our new president's enthusiasm.

Ms Ellul addressed the members, highlighting the Council's work throughout the year to ensure the representation of women at national level in a wide range of areas. Both women and men should be recognised as contributors to the economy of the country at a time when the growth of Malta's competitiveness is crucial. We cannot talk about social development if economic development is not sustained.

The incoming president concluded that the Council must examine emerging issues and their impact on women and men and the need to develop new strategies that would ensure that no human resources were wasted.

The general assembly also discussed and approved a number of resolutions, dealing with: Extending gender equality in areas other than employment: Education, Men and Gender Equality; Equality to Access to Goods and Services; the Reformed Pensions System; Immigration; Trafficking of Women in the Context of Migrations; NGO Legislation and Regulation; Youth: Juvenile Delinquency and Adolescent Pregnancy; The Elderly: Strategies for Extending the Age of Exit of Older Workers from the Labour Market; Care for the Elderly; Promotion of Vocational Education; The Digital Divide and MCESD and the Civil Society Sub-Committee.

The executive committee for 2005 is made up of Helga Ellul, president, Grace Attard, Doreen Micallef and Mary Rose Zahra, vice-presidents; Doris Bingley, general secretary, and Caroline Attard, treasurer; Dr Mercedes Schembri Wismayer, Fleur Vella, Claudine Cassar, Vivien Cassar, Mary Gaerty, Lara Tonna and Monica Schranz, executive members, and Dr Roselyn Borg as legal adviser.

The AGM was also addressed by Joseph Farrugia, president of the Malta Employers Association, on "Women and Competitiveness".

A full report will be published in the next issue of the Council's newsletter Il-Mara.