The Malta Women's Lobby (MWL) said it has note of the proposal made by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana to introduce a new tax rate for parents who have multiple children as part of a strategy to combat Malta's low fertility rates.

While this measure may offer some financial relief to families, the MWL emphasised that this singular incentive alone will not address the complex roots of Malta's demographic challenges, the group said in a statement.

 "Raising children involves more than just financial expenditures-it places a considerable physical, emotional, and mental burden on parents, particularly mothers," a spokesperson for the MWL said. "Introducing a tax rebate to encourage multiple births without simultaneously expanding family leaves (like maternity, paternity, and parental leave), ensuring more flexible work arrangements, and addressing the imbalance in gendered caregiving between the parents, will fail to achieve a meaningful impact on fertility rates. We must move beyond what appears to be a masculine perspective that treats women's wombs as a problem to be solved through financial incentives alone."

Parents, especially mothers, bear the disproportionate majority of daily tasks related to childcare, education, and healthcare, not to mention overall family management and the care of elderly and/or disabled relatives; tax incentives, while potentially beneficial, are just one piece of a much broader and more complex puzzle. Having a second child significantly amplifies a family's responsibilities, especially in light of Malta's limited support structures for working parents. If the government's goal is to sustainably reverse the declining birth rate, the MWL urges a more holistic approach.

The MWL called on the government to establish a dedicated task force that examines the issue of low fertility through a multidisciplinary lens-taking into account financial, social, cultural, housing, and gender equality considerations. "We strongly believe it is essential for policymakers to refer to research-based findings, such as those within the NCPE's report (https://online.fliphtml5.com/dbpti/arbk/#p=1) on low fertility and work-family conflict, to guide a multifaceted policy response," the spokesperson added.

While financial incentives are helpful, they shouldn't be the only focus. A more comprehensive approach, grounded in the idea that "it takes a village to raise a child," could make a real difference. In addition to emotional and psychological approaches, we need to stress the importance of adopting a proper work life balance as a means to adequately support families juggling paid work and family life, as this is at the core of addressing this issue from a holistic lens.

The Malta Women's Lobby reiterates that a single tax incentive, while well-intentioned, does not go far enough. Without addressing the societal, cultural, and practical barriers parents-particularly mothers-face in having and raising multiple children, any tax measure risks only benefitting those who can already afford a larger family. A broad-based, research-driven approach is critical if Malta wishes to ensure both a stable population and the well-being of families.

The Malta Women's Lobby is an umbrella organisation that works in the area of women's rights. It acts as a national forum with the aim of raising awareness and lobbying for effective change in matters related to gender equality between women and men.