Gender-motivated killings of women are an assault on universal human rights and seriously undermine human dignity, Andrew Azzopardi, the Dean of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, said.

"Preventing all forms of violence against women requires the engagement of all segments of society, most especially the sustained participation of men and boys as partners in building more respectful relationships throughout our Maltese society," he said in a statement.

The killing of Paulina Dembska, a Polish student living in Malta, is a harsh reminder that today, in the 21^st century, there is still an urgent need to build equality between men and women in the Maltese islands and to eradicate the gender stereotypes which are the source of inequality and gender based violence, including femicide, he added.

"The Faculty for Social Wellbeing therefore stands in solidarity with all those voices in Maltese society that are calling for an end to the gender-motivated killing of women and spotlighting this important issue on a national platform."

"Furthermore, the Faculty over the past years, has dedicated an increasing number of resources which have been channelled by our various departments to further understand and effectively address the scourge of gender-based violence in Maltese society," he said.

"However, there is so much more that needs to be done. It is critical that all relevant authorities commit themselves to ensure meaningful change in the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that condone or perpetuate violence against women in Malta.  Awareness-raising, community mobilisation, educational programmes, and support for children and young people are essential to ensure that the needs of potential victims and the threat of potential perpetrators are not falling on deaf ears or slipping through the net of existing services."