Moviment Graffitti is calling for gender quotas on candidate lists, with a minimum share of women on the candidate lists as a legal requirement instead of the proposed reserved seats in Parliament.

With just nine out of 67 Members of Parliament being women, Malta urgently needs a mechanism that ensures all genders are present in Parliament. However, this measure needs to be coupled with national studies looking into why women are not making it into Parliament, to address the root cause of the imbalance. These studies would also inform important discussions on why women are still underrepresented. Any measure should also address rampant sexism and gender stereotypes, the limitations of gender stereotypes, and the lack of work-life balance that stops women from becoming MPs.

The gender corrective mechanism as proposed in Parliament will only continue to enhance the voice of the two main political parties and enforce the status quo. In fact, the gender corrective mechanism as is currently being proposed will only function if there are two elected parties. The proposed measure will also see the addition of a maximum of 12 seats, increasing the size of Malta’s already significantly large Parliament.

The current mechanism also fails to challenge the class system in our country. Currently, a political career is not accessible to all classes. Instead, it is dominated by a man’s network that will only be perpetuated if this proposed mechanism does not give way to serious electoral reform. Serious electoral reform includes a Parliament where MPs work full-time. Parliamentary sittings should also be held in the morning. Increasing both maternity and paternity leave should also help those juggling work and family life.

Quotas in candidates’ list would put the onus on parties to address the alarmingly low percentage of female representatives in Parliament without leading to an increase in Parliamentary seats or concentrating power further within the two parties. Moviment Graffitti is also calling for civil sanctions for non-compliance to this measure.

Moviment Graffitti believes that gender quotas on candidate lists will allow for a more democratic and meritocratic process than the one currently being debated in Parliament.

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Il-Moviment Graffitti jsejjaħ għal kwota fil-listi tal-kandidati elettorali

Il-Moviment Graffitti qed isejjaħ għall-introduzzjoni tal-kwoti fil-listi tal-kandidati tal-partiti politiċi u r-rekwiżit ta’ numru minimu ta’ nisa fil-lista. Il-Moviment Graffitti qed jitlob l-introduzzjoni ta’ din il-miżura minflok il-proposta li qiegħda tiġi diskussa bħalissa fil-Parlament, fejn se jiżdiedu numru ta’ siġġijiet biex jittieħdu minn deputati nisa.

Huwa fatt li Malta għandha bżonn iżjed nisa fil-Parlament. Illum il-ġurnata, huma biss disgħa minn 67 membru parlamentari li huma nisa. Għalhekk, kull miżura li tiġi proposta għandha tiġi akkumpanjata minn studji nazzjonali sabiex jiġu identifikati r-raġunijiet għaliex in-nisa m’humiex jaslu sal-Parlament u l-kawżi ta’ dan l-iżbilanċ. Għandhom ukoll jiġu indirizzati s-sessiżmu, l-isterjotipi tas-sessi u l-iżbilanċ bejn ix-xogħol u l-ħajja.

Il-proposta diskussa fil-Parlament se tkompli tagħti iżjed poter liż-żewġ partiti ewlenin u ssaħħaħ l-istatus quo. Fil-fatt, il-mekkaniżmu li ġie propost se jaħdem biss jekk jiġu eletti deputati miż-żewġ partiti. Il-mekkaniżmu jista’ jżid ukoll massimu ta tnax-il siġġu, meta l-Parlament tagħna huwa diġà pjuttost kbir.

Il-mekknaniżmu propost jonqos ukoll milli jindirizza d-differenzi fil-klassijiet soċjali f’pajjiżna. Bħalissa, mhux kull klassi soċjali għandha aċċess għall-politika minħabba li s-sistema f’pajjiżna hija ddominata minn netwerk ta’ rġiel li se jkompli jiġġedded għal dejjem jekk ma ssirx riforma elettorali.

Din ir-riforma trid tara wkoll li l-Membri Parlamentari jkunu maħtura fuq bażi full-time, bis-seduti jsiru filgħodu. Il-liv tal-maternità u l-paternità għandhom jiżdiedu sabiex l-ommijiet u l-missirijiet ikunu jistgħu jlaħħqu mal-familja u max-xogħol.

Min-naħa l-oħra, il-kwoti fil-lista tal-kandidati tpoġġi r-responsabbiltà fuq il-partiti sabiex jindirizzaw in-numru żgħir ta’ nisa fil-Parlament. Il-partiti għandhom jiffaċjaw sanzjonijiet f’każ li ma jaderixxux ma’ dan ir-rekwiżit. Permezz tal-kwoti, din id-diskrepanza tiġi indirizzata mingħajr ma jkun hemm żieda fis-siġġijiet u mingħajr konċentrazzjoni akbar ta’ poter fiż-żewġ partiti prinċipali.

Il-Moviment Graffitti jemmen li b’din is-sistema ser ikun hemm proċess iżjed demokratiku u meritokratiku minn dak li qiegħed jiġi diskuss bħalissa fil-Parlament.