ADPD - The Green Party has proposed a longer, paid parental leave, a serious discussion on introducing a four-day working week and stronger work-life balance measures as part of proposals aimed at better supporting mothers and families, the party said.

Chairperson Sandra Gauci, candidate for the sixth and twelfth districts, and Deputy Chairperson Dr Melissa Bagley, candidate for the fifth district, addressed a press conference on Mothers' Day.

Bagley said that every year, a day is dedicated to honour mothers and mother figures, in recognition of their sacrifices, their love, and their influence on their children, families, and the community at large.

"It is a day that seeks to recognise their work and worth, shaping the world as we know it. It is also a day that was founded as a political force, where mothers were encouraged to look beyond the domestic domain and unite to protest injustices and seek to improve their lives on a national and global level," Bagley said.

She said that over the decades, mothers have faced challenges, moving beyond the domestic sphere into the professional and economic spheres of life, which are fast-paced and ever-evolving, and yet were expected to maintain responsibility for the sphere of life they were traditionally associated with.

Bagley said that for many years, there was little accommodation for mothers who worked outside the home, and it was only very recently that such barriers were addressed, and working conditions were adapted to the realities that mothers face when juggling both domestic and work spheres.

"Much has been achieved, and yet there is much to improve. Work-life balance measures have proven to be useful for mothers to handle both worlds, such as flexible working conditions and parental leave," she said.

Sandra Gauci listed some proposals that ADPD have presented in their electoral programme, some of which significant for mothers who deserve the recognition they deserve.

One of these proposals is for an increase in paid parental leave to enable parents to look after their children in the most critical phases of their lives.

To ensure that the burden of care is shared between the parents, and, as frequently is the case, avoid having one parent taking on most of the case, this parental leave should be allocated in such a way that any unused leave from one parent cannot be transferred to the other parent.

"It would be leave assigned specifically to each parent. This proposal is aimed at both parents taking responsibility for childcare. With this, everybody reaps the benefits, children and parents alike," Gauci said.

In the same manner, parental leave should be increased for parents of young children to allow them to look after their children when they fall sick.

"A serious discussion should commence on the introduction of a four-day work week for employees and thus give greater possibility for personal and family life and work, and despite the advances that have been made with regard to women's rights, there is still a disparity between earnings for men and women, known as the Gender Wage Gap," Gauci said.

She added that for this to be addressed, work contracts should be made public so that the possibility of any gender discrimination is addressed.

"Let us truly do whatever possible to strengthen families and give them every opportunity to reach their goals and aspirations," Gauci said.