The women's lobby has slammed the government's failure to include women who are not in employment in its distribution of the stimulus cheque days before the general election.

Tax refund and cost-of-living cheques were sent out last week to help people during “these challenging times”, according to Minister Clyde Caruana.

Workers and students are receiving cheques of €100, while pensioners and people on social benefits are getting up to €200. This is over and above the tax refunds payments which range from €60 to €145 and were announced in the budget.

The €70 million cash injection was announced days before Prime Minister Robert Abela called the March 26 election.

But women who are not in employment - so-called 'housewives' - have been left out of this scheme. 

"The Malta Women's Lobby is disappointed to note that women who are not in employment and do unpaid work in their family, were not considered to be deserving recipients of the stimulus cheque distributed by the government to the electorate in the last days.  

"This shows that women doing this valuable work in the family are taken for granted and are largely ignored, whilst the value of their work and their contribution to society is not appreciated."

The lobby urged political parties to stop ignoring half of the population reminding them of its asks listed in its 'femifesto' which was published on March 8.

PN MP and candidate Claudette Buttigieg had flagged the issue earlier this month.