|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 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 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|