Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1530039
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 DECEMBER 2024 4 INTERVIEW Samantha Pace Gasan: 'We have a misogynist and patriarchal culture' The commissioner for domestic vio- lence has renewed her appeal for elec- tronic tagging to be introduced "imme- diately", calling it an important tool in dealing with domestic violence cases. In an interview with MaltaToday, Samantha Pace Gasan says more re- sources are needed to tackle domestic violence and gender-based violence. She sits down with me at the start of the commission's 16 Days of Activ- ism Against Domestic Violence and Gender-based Violence campaign. Pace Gasan praises the increased re- sources for the police's Domestic Vi- olence Unit but notes that resources within the judiciary still have room for improvement. She insists the is not only tied to a court backlog of do- mestic violence cases but also a ques- tion of members of the judiciary who need to be specialised and sensitive to the particular characteristics of such cases. Discussing worrying statistics about public perceptions on issues related to domestic violence published by Eurostat, Pace Gasan says that just like many other countries, Malta still struggles with a patriarchal culture that is harmful to both women and men. The commissioner reflects on glob- al personalities such as Andrew Tate, who spread "harmful and extrem- ist" views that perpetuate violence against women. Pace Gasan says that a counterbalance to such influences must come from the understanding why these views are popular. But she insists that social media platforms al- so have a responsibility to be cautious on the content they allow on their platforms. Commissioner for Gender-based Violence and Domestic Violence Samantha Pace Gasan tells Matthew Farrugia, Maltese society has changed but more still has to be done to tackle misogyny. There is a backlog in our courts. The waiting time for such cases has been reduced due to an additional magistrate who focuses on these cases. It's important that they are specialised because the complexities of domestic violence are massive.