ADPD – The Green Party’s Chairperson Sandra Gauci welcomed the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls (WGDAWG) mission statement on Malta presented yesterday and reinforced the Green Party’s commitment to gender, equality, and justice, when addressing a press conference in front of the NCPE – National Commission for the Promotion of Equality offices this morning.
ADPD Chairperson and EP candidate Sandra Gauci commented, “We welcome the UN Working Group’s mission to Malta and look forward to reading the views and recommendations on tackling domestic violence and the under representation of women in politics, that will be presented at the Human Rights Council in the future. We hope that this international solidarity towards issues affecting women and girls in Malta will help us to make up some ground for gender equality and justice. The political issues affecting women and girls have remained taboo and stigmatised for too long, and it is always healthy to consider different outlooks on the issues affecting women and girls. How are these issues perceived from outside Malta? These issues include the role of women in society, and the increased violence we face, both online and in person.”
“Over the past six weeks as I have stepped into my new role as ADPD chairperson, many have felt it necessary to point out and emphasise my role as a female leader of a political party. The reception to my election has been mostly welcome, but I can’t help but question in regard to some of the comments and remarks I have received. Are they because I am a chairperson of a political party, or because I am a woman?”
“Unfortunately, I, like other vocal women in Maltese public life, face my share of hate and harassment for using my voice. In response I can say that these comments do nothing to halt my resolve to continue in my political commitments. I can also say that not speaking about them, and considering them taboo, would only give strength to those who want women’s issues to remain hidden and unresolved. Which as we’ve seen five days ago can lead to the President of the Republic signing abortion legislation changes that do not go far enough to protect the woman’s health and are not as bold as the position adopted by ADPD.”
ADPD Deputy Chairperson and EP candidate Mina Jack Tolu, added, “It was an honour to meet the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls while they were in Malta on their country visit. In our meeting I presented the current political barriers which women and gender-diverse people face in entering politics in Malta. In particular how the gender corrective mechanism was devised simply to top-up the seats for the two parties in Parliament, rather than directly address the lack of equal gender representation in our institutions. Assessing last year’s election results, where only four women were directly elected to Parliament, I presented a clear case against this mechanism which is only leaving women behind. As ADPD we will continue to strive for equality and call on all women and gender-diverse people to join their voices with ours so that we may get there faster.”
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ADPD iġġedded is-sejħiet għall-ugwaljanza tal-ġeneru u l-ġustizzja
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Sandra Gauci laqgħet id-dikjarazzjoni tal-missjoni tal-Grupp ta’ Ħidma tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti dwar id-Diskriminazzjoni Kontra n-Nisa u l-Bniet (WGDAWG) dwar Malta ppreżentata lbieraħ u saħqet fuq l-impenn ta’ ADPD għall-ugwaljanza tal-ġeneru u l-ġustizzja, meta indirizzat konferenza stampa quddiem l-uffiċċji tal-NCPE – il-Kummissjoni Nazzjonali għall-Promozzjoni tal-Ugwaljanza dalgħodu.
Iċ-Chairperson u kandidata għall-PE ta’ ADPD Sandra Gauci ikkummentat, “Nilqgħu l-missjoni tal-Grupp ta’ Ħidma tan-NU f’Malta u nistennew ir-rapport tal-missjoni dwar kif iħarsu lejn il-ħidma tal-istat Malti kontra il-vjolenza domestika u favur aktar parteċipazzjoni ta’ nisa fil-politika, liema rapport jiġi ppreżentat fil-Kunsill tad-Drittijiet tal-Bniedem fil-futur. Nittamaw li din is-solidarjetà internazzjonali lejn kwistjonijiet li jolqtu lin-nisa u l-bniet f’Malta tkun ta’ għajnuna biex neżaminaw ftit aħjar u nilqgħu għan-nuqqasijiet fl-ugwaljanza bejn is-sessi u l-ġustizzja. Il-kwistjonijiet politiċi li jolqtu lin-nisa u l-bniet baqgħu tabù u stigmatizzati għal żmien twil wisq u huwa tajjeb li perjodikament neżaminaw ftit kif iħarsu lejna minn barra. Dan jinkludi veduti alternattivi dwar ir-rwol tan-nisa fis-soċjetà, u ż-żieda fil-vjolenza li niffaċċjaw, kemm onlajn kif ukoll personalment.”
“F’dawn l-aħħar sitt ġimgħat hekk kif dħalt fir-rwol il-ġdid tiegħi bħala chairperson tal-ADPD, ħafna ħassew li huwa meħtieġ li jindikaw u jenfasizzaw ir-rwol tiegħi bħala mexxejja mara ta’ partit politiku. Il-ħatra tiegħi kienet fil-biċċa l-kbira milqugħa pożittivament, iżda ma nistax ma nistaqsix dwar xi wħud mill-kummenti u r-rimarki li rċevejt. Huma għax jien chairperson ta’ partit politiku, jew għax jien mara?”
“Sfortunatament jien, bħal nisa oħra fil-ħajja pubblika Maltija, niffaċċja s-sehem tiegħi ta’ mibegħda u fastidju talli insemma’ leħni. B’wiċċi minn quddiem nista’ ngħid li dawn il-kummenti ma jagħmlu xejn biex iwaqqfu d-determinazzjoni tiegħi li nkompli fl-impenji politiċi tiegħi. Nista’ ngħid ukoll li jekk ma nitkellimx dwarhom, u meta nqisuhom bħala tabù, tagħti biss saħħa lil min irid li l-kwistjonijiet tan-nisa jibqgħu moħbija u mhux solvuti. Li kif rajna ħamest ijiem ilu jista’ jwassal biex il-President tar-Repubblika jiffirma bidliet fil-leġiżlazzjoni tal-abort li ma jipproteġux biżżejjed is-saħħa tal-mara u mhumiex kuraġġużi daqs il-proposti tagħna.”
Id-Deputat Chairperson u kandidat tal-PE ta’ ADPD Mina Jack Tolu, żied jgħid, “Kien unur li niltaqa’ mal-Grupp ta’ Ħidma tan-NU dwar id-Diskriminazzjoni Kontra n-Nisa u l-Bniet fiż-żjara tagħhom f’pajjiżna. Fil-laqgħa tagħna ppreżentajt l-ostakli politiċi attwali li jħabbtu wiċċhom magħhom in-nisa u n-nies trans u ta’ ġeneru non-binarju biex jidħlu fil-politika f’Malta. B’mod partikolari kif il-mekkaniżmu korrettiv tas-sessi tfassal sempliċiment biex iżid is-siġġijiet għaż-żewġ partiti fil-Parlament, aktar milli jindirizza direttament in-nuqqas ta’ rappreżentanza ugwali fl-istituzzjonijiet tagħna. Meta evalwajt ir-riżultati elettorali tas-sena l-oħra, fejn erba’ nisa biss ġew eletti direttament fil-Parlament, ippreżentajt każ ċar kontra dan il-mekkaniżmu li mhuwiex qiegħed jilħaq l-għanijiet tiegħu. Bħala ADPD se nkomplu nistinkaw għall-ugwaljanza u nappellaw lin-nisa kollha u lin-nies ta’ ġeneri oħra biex jgħollu leħinhom ma tagħna ħalli flimkien naslu aktar malajr.”
