The future is female, Prime Minister tells United Nations
The future is female, for we need to understand that we cannot succeed when approximately half of our global population is being held back, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told the United Nations on Thursday.
He was addressing the 74th General Assembly in New York.
“Women have for centuries played an important role in society both in communities and for the past decades in places of work. Yet this role has been underestimated, under-acknowledged and at times even unrecognized,” Muscat said.
The strong worldwide momentum pushing for women’s rights should inspire leaders to review the pace of progress and ensure that governments commit to achieving gender equality in our lifetime, Muscat continued.
“On a national level, Malta has been promoting numerous initiatives which underscore the country’s commitment to the gender equality agenda and the promotion of equal opportunities for all.”
“Autonomy and empowerment are values that our legislation and practice seek to mainstream, while ensuring appropriate supports to persons who could find themselves in more vulnerable situations. This is why we have also enacted cutting-edge legislation in the field of gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics, and why we are currently working, further to UN recommendations on other areas.
“The future should be equal. It is our responsibility to show the value of all peoples, irrespective of their age, race, sexual orientation, gender, creed or disability. Diversity is an enriching factor of society,” Muscat said.
“Firm in this belief, Malta has embarked on a journey of conviction to fight social marginalisation and address the needs and rights of those who for decades as daughters and sons of a lesser God.
“From marriage equality to gender neutral markers, the advancements made by Malta in the field of the LGBTIQ community are described to be the global “gold standard” by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. It is a privilege and a responsibility to be seen as a leader on such an important matter.”
With an overall rating of 94% in the ILGA Rainbow map, Malta is now consistently the leading European country in protecting LGBTIQ people in areas of equality and non-discrimination, hate crime and hate speech, legal gender recognition and bodily integrity, civil society space and asylum, he continued.
“All this was achieved in just a few years thanks to a strong bond between the Government and civil society. Our experience has taught us that empowering citizens and ensuring that they have a voice in addressing and resolving issues that concern them and impact on their lives, is an important part of Malta’s success in this field. And yet in spite of our successes, there is still a long way to go.”
Muscat said the government’s ambition is clear; not only to provide the necessary legal platform but to contest social norms that abet stigma and discrimination. “Legislation alone does not guarantee societal change. We are working strong and fast on this aspect and our efforts are starting to bear fruit.
“The latest Eurobarometer survey on LGBTIQ equality ranked Malta first in acceptance of gender identity recognition. It also showed positive results in societal acceptance of LGBTIQ colleagues and the need for inclusive educational curricula in schools. On the other hand, we note that we need to continue to address certain issues to ensure a more holistic approach such as family acceptance.”
He spoke about efforts to stamp out poverty, including through the upgrading of social benefits, as well as initiatives to encourage more women to join the workforce.
“Yet this is not enough. Malta firmly believes that gender balance in politics would benefit not only women and female politicians, but also parties themselves and the rest of society at large. Our record in female representation where political decisions are taken is meagre, to say the least. In this regard and aware of the persistent under-representation of women in Parliament, we launched a reform proposing affirmative action that can help us bridge the gap.”