Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/884700
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 OCTOBER 2017 24 Opinion W ell, what can I say? No prizes for guessing whom the bookies expect to win. In one corner, we have the struggling, beleaguered leader of a virtually non-existent party, who only just managed to scrape into Parliament by the skin of his teeth (and at the cost of one of his few Parliamentary allies)... and who, to the best of my knowledge, doesn't even enjoy the support of a majority of his own motley MPs... ...and on the other, we have one of Malta's most organised, influential and politically successful lobby- groups, whose tenacity and perseverance has scored one political victory after another over the last 10 or so years: elevating Malta's civil rights profile several notches in the process. A bit of a one-sided contest, don't you think? If this were a real boxing match, the umpire would probably call it off just to avoid an unnecessary bloodbath. Even Simon Busuttil understood that he had no chance against the turning tide of public opinion in such matters. He tried to change his party's doomed stand on issues like IVF and same-sex marriage – unsuccessfully, perhaps; but still. At least, he recognised the importance of charting a new course when it comes to civil liberties. He understood that the country had changed, and that his party's mindset had no choice but to evolve with it. With Adrian Delia, on the other hand, we have not seen even a flicker of any such acknowledgement yet. The new PN leader still seems to think that he can 'revert to winning ways', by turning the clock back to the very hour when it first started sliding into election-losing insignificance. His only discernible strategy to date has been to emulate the failed policies of the Gonzi administrations – not ALL Gonzi's policies, mind you: just the failed ones. Or to put it another way: the policies that succeeded only in transforming the PN from the formidable political force it once was, to the unelectable mess it has become today. But no matter: if that's how Delia wants to do things... I say, let him. Just don't all pretend to be surprised, when an army of irate lesbians slits the newly anointed PN leader open from his Catholic guggle to his Latin zatch... and dismembers him so thoroughly, that there'll be nothing left but a pair of spectacles to show that someone named 'Adrian Delia' had ever existed at all. There is, after all, a reason why history keeps repeating itself. It's because some people just never learn from their mistakes. In this case, Delia's mistake goes far beyond the purely strategic matter of picking a battle he can't possibly win. If that were the extent of it, I'd be happy to put it down to lack of experience, and wish him better luck with his next adventure. No, the real problem is that the PN's proposals betray an overwhelming prejudice... not just against lesbians and gays in general; but against pretty much everyone who doesn't fall into the 'Catholic/Latin' paradigm that Delia has unilaterally invented to rebrand his party. Let's break things down a little, shall we? Delia's actual initiative was to table a motion objecting to a new law which would empower people to claim sick leave when seeking IVF services abroad. If 'lesbians' were singled out in most newspaper headlines, it's because the specific changes proposed by the PN's motion target the legal definition of 'prospective parent'. The new law leaves that definition vague enough to also include same-sex couples (which, after all, are now fully recognised as 'equal' at law)... and for fairly obvious biological reasons, in this context, the 'sex' in question can only really be female. So yes: prima facie, the PN motion does seem aimed specifically at making things as difficult as possible for lesbian couples – more than any other category – to avail of IVF technology in order to have children. Now: if that's the view the PN intends to adopt... so be it. I would never vote for a party that tries to pull off such a mean and Adrian Delia vs 'the Lesbians' Empowering our girls Raphael Vassallo O n the 11th of October we will mark the International Day of the Girl Child, by acknowledging the value and contribution being made by some 1.1 billion girls, who form part of the world's population. This generation of girls is growing up in a time of unprecedented social, political, economic, and environmental transformation. Never before have we required such strong leadership and innovation, which incorporates the participation of people of all ages and genders. In order to meet the global challenges being faced by our world, I believe that we must, first and foremost, remove the obstacles that are currently impeding our progress to achieve full gender equity and equality. Achieving real opportunities for people of all genders is at the heart of the United Nations' Agenda 2030, and its Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, SDG Number 5 pledges the international community to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment, within our lifetimes. However, there is currently no country in the world where men and women are truly treated equally. At the current rate of progress, according to indicators from the World Economic Forum, it will take an estimated 170 years to achieve full gender parity. We cannot afford to wait that long. I am certain that, in order to create a sustainable and long-term change, we must actively include the voices and experiences of our young girls. They are essential stakeholders in our journey towards positive change. We must set our girls on a trajectory in which they are given the same opportunities to thrive and to reach their full potential, just like our boys. Girls must be assured of equitable access to opportunities in all facets of their lives, from education through to employment. When we respect the full dignity and wellbeing of women and girls, and the value of their contributions, then we can make a real difference in our communities and our society. For this reason, we must continue to promote active processes of child participation, which recognise children as social agents in their own right. We must raise our daughters to think of themselves as potential leaders and innovative thinkers, with a worthwhile contribution to make to our society. There is an urgent need to widen the opportunities open for children, and lift up our young girls in particular, by empowering them to become women who lead. It is for this reason that I am a proud patron of the #Girl2Leader campaign, launched by the Women Political Leaders Global Forum. The #Girl2Leader campaign seeks to overcome dangerous forms of gender stereotyping, and create an environment which encourages and supports young women to consider the possibility of a career in politics and leadership. I would like to acknowledge a number of individuals and organisations, both locally and internationally, who are helping us to share the message that underpins the International Day of the Girl Child. In terms of the #Girl2Leader campaign, we have received valuable support from MEPs Marlene Mizzi, Francis Zammit Dimech, Miriam Dalli, and Alfred Sant, each of whom has committed to support a Maltese delegation of young women to be present in Brussels on the 11th October, for the official launch of the #Girl2Leader campaign. This important initiative is being coordinated by my Foundation, that is, the President's Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, which has organised a number of other initiatives to mark the International Day of the Girl Child. Representatives from Google have visited Malta to share their #IAmRemarkable programme. Along with the Women Political Leaders Global Forum, trainers will engage in workshops with female students, to stimulate further discussion and create opportunities for the empowerment of female students. On the 11th October, which is the International Day of the Girl Child, the #Girl2Leader campaign will be launched in Brussels. Locally, a parallel event to mark this UN day will be held at the University of Malta, in collaboration with the KSU. The day will also mark the official launch of emPOWer, a Platform of Organisations for Women, being facilitated by my Foundation. This platform also aims to encourage more women to participate in positions of influence and leadership. A panel discussion will then be held, posing the question of how we can collectively contribute towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal Number 5 on gender equality by the United Nations' target date of 2030. If we hope to overcome the many challenges facing our world today, while also promoting positive peace, holistic wellbeing, and social justice, then I am certain that we cannot afford to leave half of our human family behind. Our country, and our world, need inspiring role models and strong strategies for shared leadership. The world needs the precious participation of all our women and girls, alongside men and boys. In this way, we shall be creating the kind of future that we will be proud to hand down to future generations. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca is President of the Republic Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca