The UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women last week reviewed “article by article” Malta’s compliance with the convention, stressing that the Maltese government should “consider the convention when interpreting domestic law, submit it to Parliament, and accede to the convention’s optional protocol.”
European Union legislation and acts, one expert pointed out, were of more limited scope than the convention, and could not as easily focus on new developments.
It was even suggested, according to a report found on the UN website, that Malta “adopt special temporary measures, such as targets for women’s participation or minimum percentages for both sexes in political candidate lists.” Other experts noted a similar lack of Maltese diplomats.
Other committee members also commented on the low percentage of women in Malta’s labour market, suggesting that the country review measures it had taken to encourage women to work.
Such measures, which included various types of maternity leave, might actually discourage women from working in the paid labour force and reinforce their roles as primary caregivers, committee experts said.
Malta ratified the Convention, often referred to an “international bill of rights for women”, in 1991, the UN report said.
The UN Committee heard Sina Bugeja, executive director of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality between Men and Women, explaining Malta’s point of view in a report that included various statistics regarding the participation of women in Malta.
Among other things, Ms Bugeja pointed out that international treaties do not automatically become Maltese law, and that the convention could not be invoked before Maltese courts. However, people could invoke the European Convention on Human Rights, and also had the right to petition the European Court.
Also part of Malta’s delegation at the hearing were Vanni Xuereb, advisor to the National Commission for the Promotion of Women, Deborah Attard, counsellor to Malta’s Permanent Mission to the UN, and Victor Camilleri, permanent representative of the Maltese Mission to the UN.
See full report on pages 8 and 9