Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545062
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 MAY 2026 NEWS ELECTION 2026 Do the party manifestos really THE political parties have been working hard over the past four weeks to convince voters they are best placed to represent their interests. YET with women making up more than half of the popula- tion, MaltaToday took a look at what policies each party has put forward to win over the female electorate. Extra leave for parents The expansion of maternity leave, and subsequently pa- ternity and parental leave, has been one of the big-ticket items in this election campaign. Cur- rently, parents are entitled to 18 weeks of fully paid materni- ty leave, 10 working days of ful- ly paid paternity/second parent leave, and up to four months of parental leave per parent. The Labour Party (PL) is pro- posing extending paid materni- ty leave to 26 weeks, as well as introducing six months of paid parental leave that parents can share freely, alongside an in- crease in paid paternity leave to one month. The Nationalist Party (PN) is also proposing 26 weeks of paid maternity leave and six weeks of paid paternity leave, but goes further by of- fering one year of paid paren- tal leave split equally between both parents. ADPD supports expanding paid parental leave but insists on a strict 50/50 split, where unused leave is forfeited rather than transferred. Momentum proposes 26 weeks of materni- ty leave and one year of shared parental leave at full pay, with four months made non-trans- ferable to encourage fathers' participation. Although all parties support expanding leave, there is a clear divide between flexible sharing models and ones that actively enforce equal car- egiving. Labour's approach al- lows parental leave to be fully transferable, but this risks re- inforcing existing inequalities, as women are still more likely to take the majority of time off due to social expectations and workplace norms. In contrast, ADPD, Momentum, and to a lesser extent the PN, introduce non-transferable or individu- ally allocated leave, which is more likely to encourage fa- thers to take leave and help address long-term inequalities in employment, pay, and pen- sions. Striking a work-life balance Beyond parental leave, the parties also include wider measures aimed at helping families balance work and care responsibilities. Labour pro- poses additional support such as miscarriage leave and neo- natal care provisions, alongside extended leave entitlements. The PN places stronger em- phasis on workplace flexibili- ty, including flexible working rights and arrangements that allow parents to adjust work- ing patterns after childbirth or adoption. It is also proposing granting additional sick leave entitlement, which parents can take when their children are sick. ADPD and Momentum al- so point to broader changes in working life, with Momen- tum highlighting more gradu- al returns to work, while AD- PD raises the idea of reducing working hours through wider labour reform discussions. The overall feeling is that all parties recognise the need for more workplace flexibility. The big question will be wheth- er they will have the political will, once in office, to convince sceptical employers to accept the changes. Gender gap and representation All parties propose measures to address gender inequality in the workplace, particularly around pay gaps and leader- ship representation. Currently, women account for 36.9% of managerial and leadership po- sitions, an increase of 26% over the past decade according to Eurostat figures. Labour pro- poses mandatory pay reporting tools for large companies to identify disparities, while the PN focuses on EU pay trans- parency rules and enforcing a 40% quota for the underrepre- sented gender in public bodies. ADPD and Momentum em- phasise equal pay for work of equal value and tackling struc- tural barriers to women's ca- reer progression. At a broader level, all parties support im- proving gender representation in decision-making, with La- bour, the PN, and ADPD back- ing 40% quotas or balanced representation in public insti- tutions, while ADPD and Mo- mentum also extend this dis- cussion into wider governance and private sector leadership. While these proposals show a shared recognition that gen- der inequality extends beyond wages into leadership and long-term economic security, there remains a clear gap be- tween policy and internal party practice. Out of the 162 candi- dates standing for election, 46 are women. Labour performs compara- tively better, with 28 female candidates, up from 16 in 2022. The PN is fielding 13 female candidates, down from 17 in 2022. Momentum has no fe- male candidates, while ADPD is fielding two female candi- dates and is also the only party to have a female leader. LAURA CALLEJA lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt While these proposals show a shared recognition that gender inequality extends beyond wages into leadership and long-term economic security, there remains a clear gap between policy and internal party practice