As part of the events marking the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion, a national conference on homeless people was held yesterday at the Le Meridien Hotel in St Julian’s. It was organised by Fondazzjoni IDEAT, with university lecturer Cyrus Vakili-Zad highlighting that a recent study he made on Malta showed that the majority of homeless people in Malta tend to be women and children.
“The family, for most southern European and Mediterranean countries, is an important institution.
“Nevertheless, in most of these countries, including Malta, studies have proved that the lower the position of women in society, the higher the prevalence of domestic violence, which in most cases is a great cause of homelessness.
“According to the findings of a recent research on domestic violence in Malta, over a quarter of women in an intimate relationship reported they experienced one or more acts of emotional, physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner at some point in their lives, and the only way in which they feel they can get rid of their problem is by running away,” said Dr Vakili-Zad.
He was followed by local lecturer Marvin Formosa, whose recent study centered on political exclusion among the elderly in Malta.
Dr Formosa said that it is not only women and their children who are most at risk of falling into poverty, but elderly people too, which, in a recent Euro barometer survey, was endorsed by 41 per cent of Maltese respondents.
He highlighted that, in 2008, there were was as much as 22 per cent of people aged 65 and over who were found to be living at the risk of poverty; meaning one in every four elderly people in Malta.
“At the moment, the number of people employed considered to form part of the elderly is relatively low, with a recent study showing that only 10 per cent of people aged 55 and 64 were gainfully occupied in 2009. For those aged over 65, the problem is worse, with only one per cent of interviewed respondents saying they were employed in 2009.
“The problem is expected to become graver in the next few years, since by 2025 it is expected that the percentage of older people aged 60 and over in Malta will rise to 26.5 per cent. Will we have enough human and financial resources to cater for their needs,” asked Dr Formosa.
He said problems increased for people aged over 80, the majority of whom feel excluded.
“The older members of the ageing populations are especially disadvantaged because there are clear correlations between age on one hand, and cultural, social, and physical capital on the other.
“With increasing age, people tend to experience higher levels of dependency as their physical body and mental capabilities become more infirm and impaired.
“Those over 80 tend to experience the loss of their siblings, friends and most importantly – their spouse, resulting in a diminishing social support network.
“To compound matters, the majority received very low quality education, as schooling during the 1930s and 1940s was not compulsory.
“Help, and more importantly, the offer of companionship to these people, is of utmost importance,” Dr Formosa commented.