[WATCH] Parliament’s youngest MPs disagree on benefits of gender mechanism

Parliament’s two youngest MPs, Cressida Galea and Eve Borg Bonello, have clashed on the need for the gender corrective mechanism to elect more women to the House.

Both were elected to parliament for the first time through the gender corrective mechanism.

Galea, 25, was elected on the Labour Party ticket, while Borg Bonello, 18, was elected on the Nationalist Party ticket. The latter is also the youngest ever MP to make it to parliament in Malta’s history.

Galea said on TVM News Plus’ Xtra that the mechanism was needed to ensure more equality between the sexes after decades in which female representation remained very low. “Since 1945, the ratio of women MPs never surpassed the 15% mark, which is why something had to be done,” she said.

Borg Bonello disagreed with the mechanism, insisting the choice of MPs should be solely up to electors. “The mechanism penalised women because less people voted for them,” she said.

The PN MP insisted that what was needed was for political parties to attract more women to contest elections and to do so it would help to have full-time MPs and other structures such as an in-house child care centre in parliament.

Galea interjected, saying that when considering the results of the casual elections, more women were elected to parliament this time around.

The PL elected seven women and the PN elected three through the ordinary parliamentary process (on their own steam or through casual elections). Each side then were awarded six more female MPs elected through the gender mechanism that took into account their final count votes as a ratio of the district quota.

Parliament now has 22 women MPs from a total of 79, which equates to 28%, the highest ever ratio.

Justice Minister Jonathan Attard

In the second part of the programme, Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said it was his priority to implement the Labour Party’s electoral programme and strengthen the good that has been done.

On the length of time it takes for court cases to be decided, Attard said any reforms to tackle this issue had to be done with full respect to human rights and the rule of law.

“It is my duty to ensure the courts have the necessary resources and tools to carry out their job in an efficient manner,” Attard said.