In their nearly 250 combined years of existence, no woman has ever been party leader to either the Nationalist Party or the Labour Party - the two major political parties. This is in sharp contrast with the shorter history of smaller parties, which have had, or still have, women leading them.

With women still being underrepresented in Maltese politics and gender quotas remaining necessary to bolster the number of female MPs, this newsroom gathered some insights on the lack of women leaders in the two most popular parties, and asked what it will take to one day see a woman effectively positioned to be Opposition leader or Prime Minister.

The Malta Independent on Sunday reached out to five known personalities in Maltese politics to ask them why, in their opinion, no woman has ever led the PL and PN, and what will it take for this to happen, in their view.

These are former Prime Ministers Alfred Sant and Lawrence Gonzi, current ADPD leader, Sandra Gauci, former MP and founder of the Democratic Party, Marlene Farrugia, and former AD leader and sociologist, Michael Briguglio.

The two women contacted, Gauci and Farrugia both gave this newsroom similar comments.

Gauci called the major political parties "boys' clubs" that are difficult for women to break through while Farrugia said that "they are both inherently men's clubs run by a common harshly patriarchal establishment which will not have anything to do with an independent capable woman at the helm or close to it unless she is willing to be their Barbie doll or a puppet".

Additionally, Farrugia mentioned that women in politics - as she experienced during her time in Parliament - "hardly find the support of the electorate because the general expectation is still for a woman to be submissive and keep a step back from outshining a man in an argument".

Briguglio noted that while no formal legal barriers exist to inhibit any woman from becoming leader of either major party in their own right, "political institutions, party culture and traditional expectation about gender roles have historically favoured men" and that "these structural factors have limited opportunities for women, even as attitudes have gradually changed".

Meanwhile, the former prime ministers answered these two questions focusing mainly on their own respective parties.

Among his observations, Gonzi noted that "in principle, there is nothing preventing a woman - or, for that matter, a man - from putting his or her name forward for the leadership" and stated that the absence of women leaders in the PN's history should not be taken as evidence of a lack of capable women within the party's ranks.

Sant believes that "the emergence of a man or woman leader is not something that can be engineered".

Below lie the responses received in full.

Lawrence Gonzi

I can only speak for the Nationalist Party, whose leadership election process is governed by its statute. The rules provide for a democratic process that is open to all eligible members of the party. In principle, there is nothing preventing a woman - or, for that matter, a man - from putting his or her name forward for the leadership.

At the same time, we must recognise that leading a major political party is an exceptionally demanding role. It requires total commitment, resilience, and a willingness to shoulder immense responsibilities under intense public scrutiny. These challenges apply equally to men and women. I should add that as a society, we should do far more to support and encourage those who step forward to serve the common good, often at considerable personal and family sacrifice.

The fact that the Nationalist Party has never elected a woman leader should not be interpreted as a lack of capable women within its ranks. On the contrary, throughout its history the party has benefitted from the service of outstanding female leaders at local, national, European and international levels. Many have distinguished themselves in public life and demonstrated exceptional political leadership, some of whom have occupied (or are occupying) senior positions within the party structures.

One prominent example is Dr Roberta Metsola, who currently serves as President of the European Parliament and has earned widespread respect across Europe for her leadership. Her election to that office, and her subsequent re-election, are clear evidence that women from Malta are fully capable of reaching and excelling in the highest political positions.

Whether the Nationalist Party will one day elect a woman as its leader will ultimately depend, as it should, on the democratic choice of its members and on the emergence of candidates whom the party believes are best equipped to unite it, inspire confidence and lead it successfully. I have little doubt that the talent, competence and leadership qualities required for such a role already exist among women in Maltese politics.

Alfred Sant

To be honest, I think these two questions are really and truly, outside the point.

In my view, the emergence of a man or woman leader is not something that can be engineered.

There have been cases when a female leader emerged in a party dominated by conservative mindsets and with few female participants (Margaret Thatcher for the British Conservatives). There are some parties too which have/have had a male-female co-leadership (the Greens and AFD in Germany) but for particular reasons that have nothing to do with prior intentions, or rules and practices that relate to gender concerning just the top leadership level.

What one has to check is whether parties have internal mechanisms that promote or guarantee equitable representation for women in their top leadership groups: namely at party (General Conference, national executive) and parliamentary levels.

This basically refers back to quotas, which in Malta have brought with some exceptions, uneven results while still remaining too weak at party levels.

Way back in the 1990s, Labour introduced the first political quota for the election of women to its national executive, which was a success because eventually it did not need to be applied any longer.

However, the top internal decision-making structure of the party, its administration, remained outside the system, as did the parliamentary set-up of the party.

In the PL administration, only Marie Louise Coleiro achieved general secretary status (and this before the quota system was introduced for the national executive) and more recently Ramona Attard as party president.

So the question that has to be addressed is how Maltese political parties can ensure that at their top decision-making levels (party organisation and parliamentary group, indeed also at local council level) women are represented on a 50-50 basis.

Once that aim is being attempted seriously or has been achieved, the choice of leader should be free of gender considerations and focused only on who would the best person be (woman or man) to serve as leader.

Michael Briguglio

One reason is that no woman has yet emerged with the combination of public support, political networks, resources and leadership momentum needed to lead either of Malta's two major parties. However, the deeper explanation is structural. For much of the past century, Maltese politics has been dominated by men, particularly from certain social backgrounds, giving women fewer opportunities to build political careers and position themselves for leadership. While there have been no formal legal barriers - and recent measures such as the gender-corrective mechanism have sought to improve representation - political institutions, party culture and traditional expectations about gender roles have historically favoured men. These structural factors have limited opportunities for women, even as attitudes have gradually changed.

Malta has already produced several highly capable women politicians, including Agatha Barbara, Helena Dalli, Miriam Dalli and Roberta Metsola, while Sandra Gauci currently leads ADPD. Their careers demonstrate that women are fully capable of exercising political leadership at the highest levels. I believe Malta is now in a stronger position than ever before to see a woman lead one of its two major parties. Ultimately, leadership depends on factors such as political support, credibility, networks, resources and personal charisma. At the same time, further reforms that make politics more family-friendly and socially inclusive would help broaden opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups. I would therefore not be surprised if, in the coming years, a woman successfully contests - and eventually wins - the leadership of either the Labour Party or the Nationalist Party.

Marlene Farrugia

Neither PN nor PL have ever had a woman leader because they share the same context replete with cultural, structural, and also ideological impediments to a woman's political career and advancement.

Basically they are both inherently men's clubs run by a common harshly patriarchal establishment which will not have anything to do with an independent capable woman at the helm or close to it unless she is willing to be their Barbie doll or a puppet.

It will take a monumental change in the way women in politics are perceived if they speak their minds and not just parrot party lines. To date, women who hold their ground on an argument or political position, who fight back misogyny openly and vehemently even in Parliament, who refuse to be spoken over or silenced, hardly find the support of the electorate because the general expectation is still for a woman to be submissive and keep a step back from outshining a man in an argument. Otherwise she is frequently dubbed as arrogant (as a serduq), a shrew, hysterical, and even "not all there", unhinged, or outright mad.

There has to be a structural change in how and when Parliament operates and in remuneration. Most women still remain the major care-givers and essentially breadwinners in full or in part.

For a woman leader to ever materialise we also need more participation of women in frontline politics notwithstanding the above and WITHOUT the quotas, and a change in our Constitution so that parties become State-financed and free from the patriarchal establishment which to date calls the shots with very, very few exceptions (I was one such exception because I contested first with Alfred Sant and never ever accepted a sponsor) as to who gets approved as a candidate and who gets elected purely in own merit.

State-financing can also be accompanied by positive action (not discrimination) towards the participation of women by aiding more parties which present more women candidates and provide them with same support (media-wise) as they do men.

That is a start.

Networking between women, especially among competent and capable women, is very poor compared with what exists between powerful men and men and powerful men and women.

Sandra Gauci

They are boys' clubs and it isn't easy to break that. Do you think I had it easy?

Actually believe in them and not use them as commodities or tokens.

Basically, what we need is for the Parliament to become with full-timers.

At the end of the day, the brunt of the family is still carried out by the woman and that is something which is a main concern for any woman in Parliament.

If it were for me, I have adult children - one is 20, the other 18. If they were younger, I wouldn't even bother to be in politics, so that is the first thing.