During a meeting with the new Executive Committee of the National Council of Women in Castille, Prime Minister Robert Abela stressed that while many reforms have been made so that women can continue to reach their aspirations in our country, we need to continue to welcome the new realities that are facing in today’s society.
Dr. Abela mentioned the participation of women in the world of work and how the free childcare led to the woman starting to work again after having her first child. This while more women could become mothers for the first time through the introduction of the IVF law in our country. In fact, the Prime Minister announced that so far, since 2013, a total of 590 babies have been born with IVF. He also referred to the introduction of the corrective mechanism for more women to become members of parliament and the introduction of the law of femicide in the Criminal Code.
With reference to the third strategy against domestic violence, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that it is focusing more on its prevention, with the introduction of technological means that help the victims of domestic violence. Another strategy that also has women at its center is the one about human trafficking that although the number in our country remains relatively low, still legislative efforts have been made to reduce the number of victims including the regularization of temping agencies and the establishment of dedicated helplines.
Dr. Abela said that while a series of reforms have been made so that women continue to progress in our country, he stressed that we need to welcome new realities that women encounter. He said that the woman must be taken in a wider context, particularly when it comes to raising children and the family.
For her part, the President of the National Council of Women Dr. Rebecca Berry Wellman acknowledged the Government’s work in this regard and claimed that free childcare is one of the measures that the council feels most which helped the woman to balance family and career.
Present for this meeting were the Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue Andy Ellul, the Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms Rebecca Buttigieg and the Government Whip Naomi Cachia.
Photographs (OPM-DOI)
