For society to contribute fully to women, it must necessarily offer them the same opportunities it offers to its male members.
That was the central message behind an informal networking session held on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the new premises of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE).
The opening was presided by Dolores Cristina, Minister for the Family and Social Solidarity, and was followed by a networking session for members of the diplomatic corps and the judiciary on the theme of “a meeting of prepared minds – networking for further and better collaboration”.
Mrs Cristina commented on the fact that, quite aptly, this year was decreed by the European Union to be the Year of Equal Opportunities for All.
“It is indeed a sign of the advancement of gender issues in this country that today we are here to open NCPE’s new premises. This is testament to how far this country has come over the last few years in this field. In 2003 the Equality for Men and Women Act was passed which allowed for the setting up of this commission in January 2004.
“The commission is ever-present in discussions at high-decision making levels, but it is also to be found in the buses, with its banners reminding persons on their daily commute of its presence on the ground. This bi-lateral character is certainly its strong point – it can relay to the decision makers the feedback of the man and woman in the street and it can inform the citizen of the tools available for the promotion of gender equality,” Mrs Cristina said.
She also remarked on one of the main challenges which needs to be faced today – that of the relatively low percentage of women in the workforce. “This government has recognised the need to address this in practical, decisive terms,” she said, “through the introduction of family-friendly measures and innovative working patterns which will encourage women to join and/or remain in the labour market (such as affordable childcare facilities), promoting entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities, encouraging employers to develop a work/life balance for both sexes, flexibility in employment conditions and lifelong learning and training opportunities.”
Dr Janet Mifsud, Commissioner for Equality, remarked on how the National Commission had several projects under way, even though it was still very young. “Gender relations are multidimensional, they could result in altered perceptions, such as the values and respect given to men and women, their own sense of self-worth, and they can affect the way in which men and women make various strategic life choices.”
She also referred to the NCPE project Facilitating Equality Through Education aimed at the public and said that this project had shown how children could also become agents of change, creating a novel approach with respect to gender relations in the family.
Ms Sina Bugeja, executive director NCPE, remarked that the commission’s original premises were now too small to accommodate the continuously growing agenda of the commission. Ms Bugeja referred to the networking activity and highlighted the importance of the presence of the diplomatic corps and the judiciary.
“Both bodies have a crucial role to play in the implementation of equality,” she said. “We have already worked with various diplomatic missions in the course of NCPE’s life tapping on their experience on specific subjects and the judiciary have an important role to play in bringing about the necessary social changes required for the adjustment of our society – a society that is in a transitional phase and trying to adjust to its historical background and the demands of modern living,” Ms Bugeja stated.
Fr Vanni Xuereb, a member of the commission, blessed the new premises.
Members of the public wishing to contact the NCPE can call on 2590-3850, write to [email protected], or visit the website www.equality.gov.mt. The new address is: NCPE, Gattard House, National Road, Blata l-Bajda.