A reform promising more parliamentary seats for women will be formally presented to the clerk of the House next week, Equality Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said on Friday.
The measure will come into force in time for the next general election and will ensure that women have at least 40% of the parliamentary seats up for grabs, Zammit Lewis explained.
The proposed reform will see parliament grow by as much as 12 seats in what is being dubbed a "corrective measure".
A public consultation document on the “under-represented sex” was first launched back in March 2019, and puts forward a number of proposed changes aimed at promoting gender equality in politics and beyond.
Zammit Lewis made the announcement at an event commemorating Women's Day in Valletta - a photo exhibition of 12 Maltese women considered pioneers in their field.
He said women's input in public life is needed, not just for the sake of equality, but also to improve politics.
"The female politicians I have encountered in my political life have always been extremely driven and ambitious," he said.
"For this reason we will not only have a house of representatives with more women but a better one."
Equality Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar said she was proud the struggle for equality had been championed by the government.
In the last few years, she said, society had progressed a lot in terms of equality but there is still more to be done and she dreamed of a day when corrective measures would no longer be needed.
"Our dream is that a day will come when women will be equally represented in government because people believe and have faith in their abilities rather than through corrective measures," she said.
Lydia Abela, the wife of the prime minister and a political figure in her own right, praised the progress the government had made in terms of policies regarding equality.
"The keys to further progress are education and empowerment. We need to continue educating our society and we need to continue empowering women to improve their lives and those of their families."