Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/219723
maltatoday YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT MARTIN BALZAN INTERVIEWED • PAGES 11-12 SUNDAY • 01 DECEMBER 2013 • ISSUE 734 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY Under Labour, less women are directors of public corporations Gender equality only lip service Malta's 'most feminist government'? In the first eight months of Joseph Muscat's new Labour government, female directors on the boards of the government's top corporations fell by half, putting the lie to the Prime Minister's brave words on gender equality Muscat signs his election 'biography', replete with speeches where Labour's commitment to gender equality MATTHEW VELLA HE claimed his government was to be the "most feminist ever" and yet, eight months into the Labour administration, Joseph Muscat has presided over a drastic underrepresentation of women in the top government corporations and private companies in which the government still holds a major controlling interest. In 2012, MaltaToday had revealed how the Nationalist government was opposing the EU's plans to force publicly-listed companies to have 40% of their boards of directors occupied by women. But in 2013, Labour has not even improved female representation in the lead- Download the MaltaToday App now ers and directors of the government's top corporations, first flagged by this newspaper last year. From a list of top government corporations whose decisions affect each and every Maltese taxpayers' daily life, as well as two publicly listed companies – Bank of Valletta and Malta International Airport – in which the State has a sizeable ownership, women in directors' positions have dipped by a whopping 43%. In 2012, MaltaToday found 29% of directors' posts in 20 top corporations were women: under Labour, this occupancy has been halved to 16%. Women disappeared from MIA plc's board, Malta Government Investments, Malita plc and not installed on the new Public Broadcasting Services' editorial board. They were whittled down to just one in the Water Services and Enemalta boards, while the only increase took place on the Gozo Channel board. Bank of Valletta, which would be affected by the EU's gender quotas, saw its nine-man board welcome Ann Fenech after a shareholders' election. Government appoints BOV's chairman. Asked to comment about this dismal state of affairs, civil liberties minister Helena Dalli simply reaffirmed the government's commitment to EU commissioner Viviane Reding's proposal to eliminate gender imbalance in decision-making positions. Continues pages 8-9 Hunters approach PN candidate in bid for referendum challenge THE hunting lobby has approached the Nationalist Party's candidate for the European Parliament, Therese Comodini Cachia, to assist them in a legal representation on the validity or otherwise of an abrogative referendum on spring hunting. The 39-year-old human rights lawyer, earmarked as one of the PN's top candidates for the 2014 elections, yesterday refused to confirm or deny that the Federazzjoni Kaccaturi Nassaba Konservazzjonisti had engaged her to assist them, over a possible challenge to the referendum on spring hunting. FKNK chief executive Lino Farrugia yesterday also refused to either confirm or deny her appointment, insisting however that his lobby was "free to engage whoever they saw fit – the lawyers we engage, for whatever reason, is not the media's business." On her part, Comodini Cachia told MaltaToday that she was "bound by pro- The festive season's style diaries Spreading the Christmas cheer Evasive: Comodini Cachia neither confirmed, nor denied hunters' lobby FKNK approached her on a referendum challenge fessional ethics [and] unable to confirm or otherwise whether or not I have been approached for legal advice by any individual." The Nationalist candidate was specifically asked by phone and then by email, whether she was representing the hunters' lobby, but she refused to give a clear denial, citing confidentiality. Comodini Cachia however clarified that "the right for petitioning a referendum is a constitutional right that ought not be restricted." CONTINUES PAGE 3 The festive season's style diaries Spreading the Christmas cheer The festive season's style diaries YOUR FREE COPY OF VIDA INSIDE Spreading the Christmas cheer Newspaper post €1.20