A women's lobby on Friday blamed Malta’s "alarmingly low fertility rate" on years of governmental inaction in supporting women in employment who are also raising children and caring for vulnerable or ageing relatives.
"Women are expected to earn an income as if they have no family obligations, and simultaneously rear children as if they have no paid work responsibilities," the Malta Women's Lobby said ahead of Women's Day on Saturday.
"This unrealistic expectation forces many women to make difficult choices and often prevents them from having more than one child, despite their wishes."
The statement follows a public discussion sparked by the presentation of a report by professors Anna Borg and Prof Liberato Camilleri on perceptions towards a work-life balance with a specific focus on family size.
The report was presented at a conference which was told that today's Maltese childbearing generation needs to have at least three children for the population to increase - a process that would take at least 60 years.
Soon after, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana told parliament the country needed to take urgent, drastic and expensive action to reverse the worrying downward trajectory of its native population numbers.
On Friday, the women's lobby said women wanted longer maternity leave, well-paid parental leave for both parents, the possibility to take time off when their children are sick, and more flexible work options in terms of time and location.
"They also call on their partners to share housework, childcare and additional caregiving responsibilities more equitably.
"Additionally, the financial burden of raising children must be addressed through holistic state support - without it, many women simply cannot expand their families."
'Women need to be protected by justice system'
Every year around March 8, the lobby takes stock of developments on national issues that have a direct impact on women’s lives.
This year, apart from calling for better support to balance paid and unpaid family work, the lobby also flagged the need for better protection of women by the justice system.
"Recent court decisions have revealed a serious shortfall in how our justice system addresses violence against women.
"Perpetrators of abuse and violence are too often being handed alarmingly lenient sentences, sending a distressing message to both victims and society at large. These sentences minimise the gravity of the harm inflicted and fail to protect women’s right to live free from fear."
The MWL called for a thorough review of sentencing guidelines to ensure they reflected the severity of violent acts committed against women
There was an urgent need for a well-trained judiciary that recognised the deep, lasting trauma that such violence inflicted, and which held offenders fully accountable, the lobby added.
"Victims must feel secure in seeking justice, with the assurance that their suffering will not be trivialised in our law courts.
"It is the duty of our legal system to protect women by delivering sentences that serve as a legitimate deterrent and that reaffirm society’s commitment to ending violence against women. Anything less perpetuates a cycle of harm and continues to undermine public trust in the justice system."