PL MP Rosianne Cutajar has emerged as the only woman MP out of the 23 to say that she would refuse a parliamentary seat obtained through Malta's gender-corrective mechanism in the next election, setting her apart from most of her colleagues who largely defended the system as a tool to increase female representation in Parliament.

The gender-corrective mechanism, introduced just before the 2022 general election, was meant to open doors for women in politics and boost female representation in Parliament, but for some, it has been perceived as having created a new kind of divide - one between representation and merit.

The mechanism has often been described as having the opposite effect, working against women, as it does not reward competence.

2022 marked the first use of the mechanism. The six Labour MPs elected were Alicia Bugeja Said, Cressida Galea, Abigail Camilleri, Amanda Spiteri Grech, Naomi Cachia, and Davina Sammut Hili, while the six Nationalist MPs elected were Janice Chetcuti, Paula Mifsud Bonnici, Julie Zahra, Bernice Bonello, Claudette Buttigieg and Eve Borg Bonello.

Another 11 women were elected via the electoral districts process.

The Malta Independent on Sunday reached out to all 23 women Members of Parliament from both sides of the House, asking a single question: If, in the next election, they are not elected as one of the 65 MPs (including proportional adjustments and/or casual elections), would they still accept a parliamentary seat via the gender-corrective mechanism?

Out of the 23, a total of 13 women MPs replied - in varying degrees - to this question, nine from the Labour Party, and four from the Nationalist Party. Six of these 13 respondents were elected through the gender-corrective mechanism three years ago.

The vast majority of Labour's women MPs stood by the gender-corrective mechanism, describing it as a fair and necessary means to correct historical gender imbalance and strengthen women's voices in Parliament.

PL MP Rosianne Cutajar was the only Labour MP who said that she would refuse a seat through the mechanism.

"Personally, no, I would not accept," she said, explaining that after years of political service in local councils and national politics, she felt she had already proven her worth.

She acknowledged that the system could offer a valuable opportunity to female newcomers contesting for the first time, giving them a platform to prove their worth.

"Today, people know me; they know what I stand for. It is true that there is great competition in the district I contest in; however, speaking for myself, I believe that if I were elected through the mechanism, I would not be inclined to accept the seat," Cutajar said.

In one of the more nuanced replies, PL MP Katya De Giovanni said that she would accept a seat through the mechanism on the fourth district, because of what she described as an "unfair political environment".

De Giovanni, who contests the fourth and 10th districts, said that competing against multiple Cabinet members contesting on those same districts placed her at a significant disadvantage, especially on the fourth district, which she described as very competitive.

"Cabinet members have a whole secretariat or Ministry behind them. In my case, I was elected through by-election to fill the seat vacated by Chris Fearne, who will also be contesting the fourth district. He's a household name, so it is very difficult for me, even if I were male, to compete in this environment," she said.

She argued that the mechanism offers "partial compensation" for this imbalance, though she added she is unsure on what she would do if she were elected through the mechanism on the 10th district.

Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia dismissed the idea that the system undermines competence, saying it had in fact allowed competent women to bring forward valuable perspectives and leadership that may otherwise have been underrepresented.

Farrugia pointed to reforms driven by women MPs, such as paid leave for families with critically ill infants, the "right to forget" past medical conditions, the distribution of free sanitary products for women, and better rights for fishermen.

"It's evident that women in Parliament are not only contributing but are driving forward landmark reforms that touch the lives of countless citizens," Farrugia said.

The minister continued that she recently got the chance to promote Malta's accomplishments in this area during a ministerial conference in Serbia that was centred on women's empowerment and inclusion.

"One of the improvements I discussed was the gender corrective bill, which has been crucial in guaranteeing that women's opinions are heard throughout decision-making," Farrugia said.

Parliamentary secretary Alicia Bugeja Said - who was one of the women elected for the Labour party through the mechanism - echoed Farrugia's remarks. She said that the mechanism was created precisely to address gender imbalance in the country's highest institution, ensuring that women are better represented and have a stronger voice in Parliament.

Similarly, PL MP Davina Sammut Hili described it as an instrument that exists to correct the serious lack of women in Parliament, while PL MP Abigail Camilleri said that the system "in no way implies that women elected through this mechanism lack competence".

Camilleri said that in fact, those elected are qualified professionals in their own right. Both Sammut Hili and Camilleri were elected through this mechanism.

Labour MP Romilda Zarb said the mechanism was introduced with the right intentions, to encourage better gender balance in Parliament and to ensure women's voices are better represented in decision-making.

"It is an important step forward in creating a more inclusive political environment, and I support its goal," Zarb said.

Former Labour president and PL MP Ramona Attard, who was co-opted as an MP after a seat was vacated by Randolph Debattista, recalled how in 2017, only nine women were elected despite Labour's landslide victory.

"It was obvious that something had to be done - and done quickly - to shock the system into change," she said.

Attard said that while there are critics of the corrective mechanism, she looks at her colleagues who were elected through it and sees great potential.

"I see individuals who are making valuable contributions both in legislative work in Parliament and in direct contact with citizens in their districts," Attard said.

She stated that questioning whether someone should "accept" their seat when elected through the mechanism undermines the value of parliamentarians who entered via this system and have since proven their worth.

"I believe the long-term solution lies in political parties ensuring a 50% candidature of both sexes," Attard said.

She said that as a new MP, but also as someone who has been involved in politics for many years, her duty is to work so that the Labour Party earns a strong mandate to continue implementing reforms, and, on a personal level, to be a representative who carries the confidence and the vote of the people.

Labour MP Amanda Spiteri Grech, who was also elected through the gender-corrective mechanism, spoke of the stark underrepresentation of women before the mechanism's introduction.

Spiteri Grech said that up to 2017, only 26 women had ever been elected to Parliament, just 14% of MPs, placing Malta near the bottom of the EU for female political participation.

Even after the 2022 election, after adding 12 female MPs through the mechanism, women made up only 27.8% of MPs, short of the 40% target, but still the highest proportion in Malta's history, she said.

"This was a decision of the House of Representatives, meaning the representatives of the people decided on such a change," Spiteri Grech said, though acknowledging the need for education and other measures to increase women's participation.

Responses from Nationalist female MPs were both limited and more restrained.

In June of this year, incumbent PN MP Claudette Buttigieg, who was elected for the first time in 2013, had announced that she would not be contesting the next general election.

Despite being elected through the gender-corrective mechanism in the 2022 general election herself, Buttigieg had criticised the mechanism, described it as a "tick-the-box" exercise.

Buttigieg had further said that on a national level, no additional initiatives were taken to encourage more women to contest the coming election, and that she would refuse to be once again elected through the gender-quota mechanism.

PN MPs Graziella Attard Previ and Graziella Galea gave an exact reply, saying that the gender-corrective mechanism was introduced as a temporary measure to encourage greater female participation in Parliament, and while it may not be a perfect system, it remains the framework established by law.

"As a candidate, I believe in respecting the democratic process and the mechanisms currently in place, while also supporting a broader discussion on how we can ensure that merit, competence, and equal opportunity remain at the heart of representation in future reforms," they both said.

PN MP Bernice Bonello was the most cautious of all, saying that it was "too early to make such decisions", and that she would take a final decision on the matter when the time comes.

The women MPs who were contacted by this newsroom but did not reply to the question were: PL MPs Naomi Cachia, Cressida Galea, Alison Zerafa Civelli, Rebecca Buttigieg and Miriam Dalli, as well as PN MPs Julie Zahra, Janice Chetcuti, Paula Mifsud Bonnici, Eve Borg Bonello and Rebekah Borg.