A women's lobby has expressed its disappointment after men were appointed to two key political roles that women previously held.

The Malta Women's Lobby said it showed a "lack of gender inclusivity".

On Thursday, academic Frank Bezzina was appointed acting president taking over the role from Dolores Cristina.

And recently PN MP David Agius was appointed Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives - a role previously held by Claudette Buttigieg. 

It said this was a "setback towards achieving equal representation in positions of leadership."

"The Malta Women’s Lobby would like to remind the Prime Minister and the Leader ofthe Opposition that half of the Maltese electorate is made up of women and that, although the gender mechanism did increase the number of women MPs in parliament, this measure alone is not enough to ensure that, in future, equal representation is achieved," it said. 

 “We expect the leaders of our country to be proactive when it comes to representation, by setting the example and also appointing women in such roles.” 

The group, however congratulated Bezzina on the role and acknowledged the fact that he was instrumental in the drafting and execution of the gender corrective mechanism. 

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