The Nationalist Party organised a panel discussion to speak about issues still being faced by women and girls nowadays, on International Women’s Day, on Sunday, 8 March.

Speaking in this discussion, together with PN leader Alex Borg, were Paula Briffa, Clarissa Sammut Scerri, Amy Camilleri Zahra, Josef Vella, Anna Borg, and MNPN President Marie Claire Zammit.

Before this discussion commenced, the Nationalist Party raised some statistics to highlight some of the salient challenges women still face in everyday life. For instance, one in every four women experience some sort of violence; 92% of rape victims are women and girls; a quarter of women in Malta were found to experience sexual harassment in the workplace; the gender pay gap persists; females are more likely to experience online harassment than males are; and women are still noted to face glass ceilings in professional life, as they are less likely than their male counterparts to be selected for leadership positions.

Prof. Sammut Scerri, who is an Associate Professor at the University of Malta’s Faculty for Social Wellbeing, observed that 27% of women in Malta have been sexually harassed and that the rate of women who have experienced some sort of violence (one in four) is higher than that of men (one in five).

She noted that women’s most experienced form of violence is sexual violence and that many women struggle to comprehend that what they underwent constitutes as abuse.

Paula Briffa stated how women must think of their families and children, which requires extra time and planning in their day-to-day life. She said that as an athlete herself, there were many mornings when she woke up at 04:30am to train and had to check whether an area was safe for her to run through at the time, instead of simply going for her morning run.

Briffa added that while running is perceived as more of a hobby for women, it is perceived to be more lucrative for men. She said that her male counterparts are perceived to be able to attract bigger crowds and sponsors, even though they are equals.

She called for women to not shy away from taking care of themselves, and investing in their own mental health amidst all their responsibilities.

Camilleri Zahra, who is an activist for people with disabilities, stated that women with disabilities form part of two different minorities, and so the challenges they face, e.g., glass ceilings in the workplace, are even starker than what most women experience. She highlighted that women with disabilities are often infantilised by society; research shows that such women are not perceived to be able to have a family and work, for instance, she said.

The CEO of the trade union UĦM – Voice of the Workers, Josef Vella, raised points pertaining to work-life balance and mentioned some proposals to improve family life.

Vella commented that in some Nordic countries, couples work one and a half jobs between them, in terms of hours, to ensure that at least one parent has time to care for their family. He said that as female participation became the norm, because women deserve to participate in the workforce, time at home – especially for the father – was “never considered.”

Vella stated that whilst he is observing many women become leaders nowadays, including in union environments, “women are still being discriminated against” in workplaces in 2026. In this regard, he said that after women give birth, it is not unheard of for them to lose seniority, not get properly integrated back into the workplace, and carry this burden till they retire and begin receiving pensions.

“If we care about this, let’s write laws to truly amend this. We can begin working on this tomorrow, and we should,” Vella said, noting that UHM budget proposals on such issues have remained ignored.

He also mentioned that in the spirit of gender equality, he believes that men should be similarly appreciated and that “we must also celebrate Men’s Day,” not just locally. Vella commented that it’s important for such discussions to turn into competitions between men and women.

Prof. Anna Borg, who is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Malta’s Centre for Labour Studies, noted that women still carry the burdens of cooking and majorly caring for their families, in comparison to men. Citing research, Borg said that only 1% of men in 2026 carry the burden of taking care of their family, while 5% of men claimed to take more responsibility in providing food, in comparison to over half of women.

“Women are expected to raise children like they don’t have a career but then are expected to continue on with work like they don’t have children,” Borg said.

She continued that in babies’ first two years alive, it is crucial for parents to be present for their development. Hence, she called for investment to be taken to provide “decently paid leave” to promote this, noting that several countries abroad have invested in family’s and babies’ care by providing parental leave at 80% of their salary – a stark contrast to the approximate €25/day rate offered in Malta, which matches sickness benefits.

“We often don’t give men the opportunity to take a career break and be there for their families in the early stages,” she said, noting that only around 11 from 500 men in the public service took paternal leave.

She believes that the consequence of this is showing in Malta’s all-time low birth rate, “because parents must choose between one and the other,” i.e., work progression and building families.

PN leader Alex Borg concluded this political activity by telling viewers his party will continue to show that it supports gender equality and empowering women through the proposals it will put out over the coming months, leading up the next general election.