Sandra Gauci, Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party u kandidata fuq is-sitt u tnax-il distrett; u Dr Melissa Bagley, Deputat Chairperson u kandidata fuq il-ħames distrett indirizzaw konferenza stampa fl-okkażjoni ta’ Jum l-Omm.
Melissa Bagley qalet li ta’ kull sena niddedikaw jum sabiex nagħtu ġieħ lill-ommijiet, nagħrfu s-sagrifiċċji u l-imħabba li jagħtu, u l-influwenza tagħhom fuq uliedhom, il-familji u l-komunità kollha. Huwa jum li fih infakkru s-siwi u l-ħidma tagħhom li biha jsawru d-dinja tagħna. Huwa jum li jwassal messaġġ qawwi politiku miż-żmien meta l-ommijiet kienu mħeġġa biex ma jibqgħux biss marbutin mal-ħidma fid-dar imma jingħaqdu sabiex jipprotestaw kontra l-inġustizzji u sabiex isaħħu ħajjithom fuq livelli nazzjonali u globali.
Matul għexieren ta’ snin, l-ommijiet ħabbtu wiċċhom ma’ sfidi hekk kif ma baqgħux jaħdmu biss fid-dar. Ħadu rwoli oħrajn f’oqsma professjonali u ekonomiċi f’dinja mgħaġġla u dinamika, iżda madankollu kienu mistennija li jkomplu jaqdu d-dmirijiet tradizzjonali tagħhom. Matul ħafna snin, ftit li xejn kienu jeżistu kondizzjonijiet favur ommijiet li jaħdmu barra mid-dar. Kien biss fi żminijiet riċenti ħafna li dawn l-ostakli tajna kashom, u l-kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol tejjibnihom skont ir-realtajiet li l-ommijiet iħabbtu wiċċhom magħhom waqt li jagħmlu ħilithom sabiex ilaħħqu mad-dmirijiet tagħhom kemm fid-dar kif ukoll fid-dinja tax-xogħol. Għamilna passi kbar ‘il quddiem imma fadal ukoll ħafna xi jsir. Miżuri bħal parental leave u flessibilià fix-xogħol kienu ta’ siwi sabiex l-ommijiet ikunu jistgħu ilaħħqu mad-dmirijiet professjonali kif ukoll dawk domestiċi.
Sandra Gauci elenkat xi proposti li qiegħed iressaq ADPD fil-manifest elettorali tiegħu li huma huma sinifikanti biex l-omm verament tingħata l-għarfien li jistħoqqilha.
Waħda minn dawn hija dik li jiżdied il-parental leave imħallas, li jinċentiva lill-ġenituri biex jieħdu ħsieb lil uliedhom fl-iktar fażi delikata tal-iżvilupp tagħhom. Biex il-piż tal-kura tat-tfal jinqasam bejn il-ġenituri, u ma jibqax jinġarr, ħafna drabi minn ġenitur wieħed, il-parental leave jinqasam nofs bin-nofs bejn il-ġenituri u dak li ma jintużax minn ġenitur wieħed ma jkunx jista’ jiġi trasferit għall-parti l-oħra u jintilef.
Din il-proposta hi maħsuba biex tħajjar liż-żewġ ġenituri jġorru r-responsabbilitajiet ġenitorjali tagħhom flimkien. Minn dan, igawdi kulħadd, l-ulied, u anke l-ġenituri.
Bl-istess mod, għandu jiżdied il-leave għal genituri bi tfal żgħar, sabiex ikunu jistgħu jieħdu ħsieb ta’ uliedhom meta dawn ikunu morda.
Għandha titnieda diskussjoni serja fuq l-introduzzjoni ta’ ġimgħa ta’ erbat ijiem għall-ħaddiema, li tagħti iktar possibilità ta’ bilanċ bejn il-ħajja personali u familjari u l-ħajja tax-xogħol.
Fl-aħħarnett, minkejja l-avvanzi li saru fid-drittijiet tan-nisa, għadha teżisti d-disparità fil-pagi bejn in-nisa u l-irġiel, magħrufa bħala l-Gender Wage Gap. Bil-għan li dan jiġi indirizzat, il-kuntratti tax-xogħol għandhom isiru pubbliċi sabiex il-possibbiltà ta’ diskriminazzjoni abbażi tal-ġeneru tiġi indirizzata.
Ejja verament nagħmlu dak kollu possibbli biex insaħħu il-familja u nagħtu opportunitajiet lill-ommijiet tagħna biex jilħqu l-aspirazzjonijiet tagħhom.
Mothers’ Day – empowering mothers and women
ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci, candidate for the sixth and twelfth districts, and Dr Melissa Bagley, Deputy Chairperson and candidate for the fifth district, addressed a press conference on Mothers’ Day.
Melissa Bagley said that every year, we dedicate a day to honour mothers and mother figures, in recognition of their sacrifices, their love, and their influence on their children, families, and the community at large. It is a day that seeks to recognise their work and worth, shaping the world as we know it. It is also a day that was founded as a political force, where mothers were encouraged to look beyond the domestic domain and unite to protest injustices and seek to improve their lives on a national and global level.
Over the decades, mothers have faced challenges, moving beyond the domestic sphere into the professional and economic spheres of life, which are fast-paced and ever-evolving, and yet were expected to maintain responsibility for the sphere of life they were traditionally associated with. For many years, there was little accommodation for mothers who worked outside the home, but it was only very recently that such barriers were addressed, and working conditions were adapted to the realities that mothers face when juggling both domestic and work spheres. Much has been achieved, and yet there is much to improve. Work-life balance measures have proven to be useful for mothers to handle both worlds, such as flexible working conditions and parental leave.
Sandra Gauci listed some proposals that ADPD have presented in their electoral manifesto, some of which are very significant for mothers who deserve the recognition they deserve.
One of these proposals is for an increase in paid parental leave to enable parents to look after their children in the most critical phases of their lives. To ensure that the burden of care is shared between the parents, and, as frequently is the case, avoid having one parent taking on most of the case, this parental leave should be allocated in such a way that any unused leave from one parent cannot be transferred to the other parent. It would be leave assigned specifically to each parent. This proposal is aimed at both parents taking responsibility for childcare. With this, everybody reaps the benefits, children and parents alike.
In the same manner, parental leave should be increased for parents of young children to allow them to look after their children when they fall sick. A serious discussion should commence on the introduction of a four-day work week for employees and thus give greater possibility for personal and family life and work.
And despite the advances that have been made with regard to women’s rights, there is still a disparity between earnings for men and women, known as the Gender Wage Gap. For this to be addressed, work contracts should be made public so that the possibility of any gender discrimination is addressed.
Let us truly make whatever possible to strengthen families and give them every opportunity to reach their goals and aspirations.
