The Maltese local councils' gender divide : what is the cause for the female under-representation in our local councils?

Abstract

This research assesses the current level of female participation within the Maltese local governance context. The underlying objective is to identify the set of factors which hinder women from participating in local council elections, in an effort towards an equal participation backed by a democratic and inclusive culture. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with all eleven female mayors in office in 2015. This qualitative approach was deemed appropriate so as to focus on insights not initially available to the researcher. The research outcomes indicate that there is a host of factors impeding women's participation in local councils. It is relevant to highlight that the majority of female mayors are either over 50, unmarried or else recently married but without infants. Conversely it transpired that family issues were singled out as a primary constraint, particularly whenever females are acting as carers for children. This is a strong reflective indicator in view of the strong cultural and moral influences impacting the role of women vis-a-vis the Maltese social expectations, including the quota system. Although female participation has increased in local governance throughout the past years, there is still sufficient space for further constructive participation as a healthy political inclusive culture. Embracing democratic participation demands proportional female participation. The findings suggest the need for further investigation in the future in order to deal with the low level of Maltese female participation compared to other EU countries. At the end of this work a set of recommendations are presented in an effort to facilitate female participation in local governance particularly in policy making.