The National Commission for the Promotion of Equality is working on a number of initiatives aimed at increasing female participation in decision-making and leadership roles, which include the online Directory of Professional Women, equal rights Minister Helena Dalli said today.

The directory includes information about the qualifications, experience, skills and areas of interest. It also highlights the women’s achievements in the various fields of specialisation and occupations as well. This initiative is being developed in line with government policy. It already lists 113 women and other registrations are currently being processed.

 Speaking at a public meeting organised by NL (Nisa Laburisti), Dr Dalli said the government is committed to ensure bigger equality between men and women and greater female participation in decision making.

She said a significant achievement had been reached in the last round of the European Parliament election, where Malta elected four women MEPs and two men. The number of women elected in the local council elections also increased by 1.22% when compared to the 2012 election.

The Minister said the government had introduced several initiatives that helped strengthen equality, including the introduction of free childcare. These measures were giving parents the necessary support to be able to work and advance in their careers. The maternity fund is also another measure aimed at reducing discrimination against women.