Women Candidates in Maltese Elections, 1947 - 2008
In 1947 Maltese women became eligible to vote and also to become candidates. In the years
Since then only 81 different women have been candidates in one of more of the general
election -- compared with over a thousand males.  The number of woman candidates has
increased somewhat during the past four elections: Sixteen women became candidates in the
1996 election and four of them were elected; in both 1998 and 2003 six women candiddates were
elected from among 24 and 23 candidates respectivly; and in 2008 six women again won election
with only 19 female candidates competing. This is a considerable improvement over the early years
but still an exceedingly low number by Western European standards.
An examination of election data (presented elsewhere on this site) suggests that women candidates,
once nominated, are on average about as successful as male candidates when such factors as
theoverall success of their party and incumbency are considered. Thus, it is the failure to even
nominate women in any sizable number which helps to account for their limited presence in
Parliament. The reason why so few women have been nominated are difficult to determine in the
absence of solid evidence about the candidates recruitment process in Malta. The likely reasons
include the still prevailing conservative views in Malta on the role of women and the absence,
until quite recently, of a substantial number of women in the professions (law and medicine)
that have been a common pathway to Parliament.
The Table below shows that there have been a few women (Agatha Barbara, Evelyn Bonaci and
Giovanna Debono) with repeated successes; but most of the women competed unsuccessfully.
                                   
The 81 Women who Became Candidates, 1947 - 2008, in Alphabetical Order
x = elected; o = competed unsuccessfully
NAME PARTY 1947 1950 1951 1953 1955 1962 1966 1971 1976 1981 1987 1992 1996 1998 2003 2008
Agius Ferrante, Anne PN                 x o o          
Aquilina, Emmanuela MLP       o o                      
Attard Bezzina, Fanny MLP   o x                          
Attard Montalto, Doreen MLP                             o  
Azzopardi, Jacqueline PN                               o
Bajada, Violet MLP                             o  
Barbara, Agatha MLP x x x x x x x x x x            
Bartolo, Mary MWP                                
Boffa, Geneveffa MWP   o                            
Bonaci, Evelyn MLP           o x x x o o          
Borg (Bonavia), Doris PN                         o o    
Borg Dingli, C. (Mrs.) MWP     o o                        
Borg, Antoinette PN                   o            
Borg, Valerie MLP                             o  
Buhagiar, Helene (Lily) DAP o                              
Buttigieg, Alexandra PN                           o    
Buttigieg, Maria Stella MLP                         o o    
Cachia, Mary DCP           o                    
Camilleri, Maria MLP                         x o    
Cardona Gatt, Josianne PN                               o
Caruana, Justyne MLP                             x x
Catania, Anna PN                       o o o    
Chetcuti, Janice PN                               o
Ciancio, Maria Carmela CWP           o                    
Cini, Simone MLP                           o    
Coleiro Preca, Marie Louise MLP                           x x x
Cristina, Dolores PN                         o x x x
Dalli, Helena MLP                       o x x x x
D'Amato, Helen PN                         x x x o
Darmanin, Cecilia (Cilia) PN                 o o            
Darmenia Brincat, Cettina MLP                 o x o          
Davies, Lucy PN                 o o            
De Trafford Strickland, Cecilia CON+MLP   x x o o                      
Debono, Giovanna PN                     x x x x x x
Delicata, Marselle PN                         o o    
Drake, Joanne PN                           o    
Ellul Bonnici, Sharon MLP                             o  
Farrugia Galea, Joan Ann PN                               o
Farrugia, Agnes K/A Inez PN                   o            
Farrugia, Carmen CWP             o                  
Farrugia, Shirley PN                               o
Galea, Caroline PN                               o
Galea, Frances DNP           o                    
Ganado, Mary Anne MLP       o o                      
Gauci, Mary AN                               o
Grech, Carmela PN         o o                    
Law, Rita MLP                         o x o o
Magri Naudi, Magda PN                           o o  
Mercieca, Margaret PN                           o o  
Micallef Leyson, Marisa PN                           o    
Miceli, Pauline MLP                           o    
Mifsud Bonnici, Paula PN                             o o
Morana, Marie Joan CWP             o                  
Muscat Manduca, Maria Louisa PN+CWP   o o o o o                    
Muscat, Paola DNP           o                    
Pace Asciak, Marion PN                           o    
Portelli, Marthese PN                               o
Pullicino Orlando, Marlene PN+MLP                           o   x
Ruggier, Maria PN                     o o        
Sant, Carmen MLP                     x o        
Schembri Orland, Lorraine PN                       o        
Schiavone, Anna PN                             o  
Sciberras, Miriam PN                         o   o  
Sciberras, Nadine PN                             o  
Spiteri Coleiro, Carmen MLP+Ind                     o o        
Spiteri Debono, Miriam MLP                   o o o o o o  
Strickland, Mabel CON+PCP   x x o o x o o                
Tabone, Carmen COM                     o          
Vassallo Mallia, Therese CON   o                            
Vassallo, Lorna MLP                             o o
Vella, Elizabeth PN                         o o    
Vella, Maria Carmela PN                           o    
Vella, Mary Carmen PN                             o  
Vella, Monica MLP                               o
Wille Piscopo, Elizabeth PN                             o  
Xerri, Tania PCP               o                
Zahra, Helga PN                             o  
Zammit, Anna AD                         o      
Zammit, Grace PN                 o o            
Zammit, Rosemary Anne AD                           o o  
Zrinzo, Sylvia MLP                         o