Minister for Inclusion and Volunteering Julia Farrugia addressed the international women’s conference “RISE 2025” held in Belgrade, Serbia, where she shared Malta’s experience in the field of women’s political and economic empowerment.
During her intervention at the conference, for which she was one of the speakers, Minister Farrugia highlighted the significant progress our country has made in recent years to increase the representation of women in politics and society. The Minister shared how Malta has introduced two crucial reforms: the right to vote for 16-year-olds, a constitutional reform that passed unanimously in Parliament and which emphasised that every voice has its importance, and a quota of 12 additional seats for the underrepresented gender, 6 for the Government party and 6 for the Opposition, which increased the representation of women in the Maltese Parliament to 28%.
Minister Farrugia stressed that these reforms are bringing about a real change in the lives of Maltese women, as the more women you have in politics, the more empathy and sensitivity you automatically bring towards what really affects Maltese women in practice. She gave examples of female parliamentarians who are bringing important issues onto the political agenda, such as the rights of parents of children with disabilities and the right of people who have had cancer not to be punished by banks or insurance for illnesses they overcame years ago.
“The progress we are making as a country in the field of gender equality is not just statistics on paper or figures on a report, but a real change that is touching the lives of Maltese women and their families. When we strengthen the representation of women in Parliament and in public life, we are also strengthening the quality of our democracy. More women in politics means that topics that were sometimes hidden or left aside are included on our agenda.”
“But equality and empowerment are not limited to Parliament alone. They are felt wherever a woman is given the opportunity to express her potential: in the workplace, in education, in sport, in the community and in everyday life. When women have a voice and the chance to aspire and achieve their goals, this brings with it a more balanced and more creative society, where decisions are made with more empathy, with more wisdom and with more respect for the needs of all people,” Minister Farrugia said.
The Minister also explained the importance of women being financially independent. This goes hand in hand with reforms on gender-based violence. She mentioned the introduction of the criminalisation of femicide in 2023, as well as legislation criminalising forced sterilisation and banning virginity tests, all of which are measures to protect especially vulnerable women and girls.
Minister Farrugia appealed to Maltese youth not to be afraid to speak their minds and to continue to serve as catalysts for change among the younger generation.
The Minister also recalled the measure introduced in 2014, that of free childcare, intended to support women who wanted to enter the labour market. To date, this initiative has helped more than 22,500 women enter the world of work, with a positive impact on their economic independence and on the national economy in general. This is a clear example of how targeted social policy can create new opportunities and contribute to a fairer and more balanced society.
At the same time, the Minister expressed concern about the dangers of hate speech, particularly that which affects persons with disabilities and other minorities in society. She explained how speech that incites hatred, discrimination or violence against persons with disabilities and against vulnerable groups reduces the commitment to equality and hinders the progress made. She also recalled the reforms introduced by the Government in this area, including the change in the law which made it clear that the humiliation or public ridicule of a person because of their disability is now considered a crime. This was an important step for society to send a clear message that no form of attack on the dignity of another person can be acceptable.
The RISE 2025 conference brought together ministers and leaders from various countries to discuss the political, economic and social empowerment of women, including Serbian Prime Minister Duro Macut, Minister Tatjana Macura responsible for the prevention of violence against women, Turkish Minister for Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Greek State Secretary Aikaterini Patsogianni, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó, and representatives from Armenia, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.
Photo: MIV
