“Pledge”, “study” and “explore” are the three new buzzwords which the Reforms Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg is using in rotation to announce a five-year gender strategy which promises to shake up gender equality in Malta. ADPD – The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci said this strategy coming from the same government who came up with the not so brilliant and not so inclusive gender mechanisms for parliament does not augur well for its implementation.
Reduction of VAT on menstrual products, a minimum threshold of women on public boards, and the introduction of free contraception are the main points which are being proposed with a time frame of 5 years to actually get them done. The Morning After Pill (MAP) being accessible at Mater Dei and voluntary sterilization are also proposed.
Gauci said while these proposals sound very ambitious the problem is that certain things like having MAP available at hospitals was already proposed when it was originally introduced, however this promise never materialised. As a result, rape victims not only struggle with the trauma but also waste precious time and money in finding MAP, hopefully without being questioned intrusively by the pharmacist.
As regards reducing VAT to reduce period poverty, we should follow the steps of the Scottish Government and declare tampons and pads a necessity for women to be given for free to any girl or woman asking for them. It should be available to everyone who chooses to access these products. In Malta, the importance of basic healthcare especially when it comes to female healthcare has always been deemed as not being important. Ensuring the free availability of sanitary pads and tampons will help the poorest women and girls in our societies who sometimes skip school as they cannot afford sanitary pads.
While all these proposals on paper look quite appealing, with the track record this government has when it comes to female issues, we have our doubts whether five years will be enough to actually implement the strategy. We want to see an action plan with timelines, concluded Gauci.
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Tgħid l-istrateġija dwar il-ġeneru se tiġi implimentata?
“Nipproponu”, “nistudjaw” u “nesploraw” huma t-tliet termini komuni li qegħdin jintużaw mis-Segretarju Parlamentari għar-Riformi u l-Ugwaljanza Rebecca Buttigieg meta ħabbret strateġija dwar il-ġeneru li twiegħed li tbiddel is-sitwazzjoni f’dan il-qasam kompletament fuq il-ħames snin li ġejjin. Meta wieħed jara bil-kawlata li rnexxielu joħroġ dan il-Gvern fejn jidħol il-mekkaniżmu tal-ġeneru fil-parlament, id-Deputat Chairperson tal-ADPD – The Green Party Sandra Gauci qalet li dan ma tantx jawgura tajjeb għal din l-istrateġija.
It-tnaqqis tal-VAT fuq prodotti femminili, numru minimu ta’ nisa fuq bordijiet pubbliċi, kif ukoll l-introduzzjoni ta’ kontraċezzjoni b’xejn huma il-punti ewlenin immressqa f’dan il-pjan bit-tir li jitwettqu fuq medda ta’ 5 snin. Hemm propost ukoll il-proviżjoni tal-Morning After Pill (MAP) mill-isptar Mater Dei u l-isterilizzazzjoni volontarja.
Gauci qalet li filwaqt li dawn il-proposti jidhru ambizzjużi ħafna għandek il-problema, ngħidu aħna, li l-proposta li l-MAP tkun ipprovduta fl-isptarijiet diġà kienet twegħdet meta daħlet f’pajjiżna, imma dan qatt ma seħħ. Dan iwassal li vittmi ta’ stupru mhux biss ikollhom jiffaċċjaw it-trawma li jkunu għaddew minnha imma jaħlu ħin prezzjuż u flus biex isibu minn fejn jixtru l-MAP, jekk mhux ukoll ikollhom jiffaċċjaw domandi mhux f’lokhom mill-ispiżjara.
It-tnaqqis tal-VAT biex jevita il-faqar waqt il-period għandu jsegwi il-mudell tal-gvern Skoċċiż li iddikjara t-tampons u l-pads bħala meħtieġa għan-nisa tant li għandhom jingħataw b’xejn. Dawn għandhom jingħataw lil kull min jitlobhom. F’Malta is-saħħa bażika speċjalment fil-qasam tan-nisa dejjem ingħatat il-ġemb u deċiżjonijiet jieħdu ħafna fit-tul biex jitwettqu.
Gauci temmet tgħid li minkejja li dawn il-proposti jidhru sbieħ fuq il-karta, ir-rekord ta’ dan il-Gvern fejn jidħlu il-ħtiġijiet tan-nisa jġagħlna niddubitaw jekk 5 snin hux se jkunu biżżejjed biex titwettaq l-istrateġija. Il-proposti jidhru li huma aktar dikjarazzjonijiet vagi. Irridu naraw pjan bid-dati ta’ kif u meta se jitwettqu l-proposti fl-istrateġija.
