The role of political parties in gender parity in Malta : a feminist institutionalist approach

Abstract

In 2021, in an effort to ensure further gender parity, the two major Maltese political parties with parliamentary representatives ratified the Gender Corrective Mechanism – a form of legislative quota with the aim of increasing representation of women in Parliament. This study investigates the institutional and operational aspect of Partit Nazzjonalista (PN) and Partit Laburista (PL), through a feminist institutional lens. Using a qualitative approach, the study undertakes a thematic document analysis of the latest party statutes, together with the Guidelines for Political Party Regulations (2nd Ed.) published by the Venice Commission in 2020. This is accompanied and triangulated with a quantitative study in survey format to gauge public perception on the role of political parties in gender parity in Malta. The study presents a number of findings. Addressing RQ1, there is a strong similarity in institutional setup between the PN and PL. Addressing RQ2, the public perception observations concluded that political parties should work harder in removing barriers to women in politics, and providing additional support measures targeting women. Moreover, in addressing RQ3, the study presents a number of initiatives or measures that political parties can incorporate to ameliorate their institutional setup in supporting female candidateship and gender parity. In conclusion, the study puts forward a number of recommendations resulting from the research, together with suggestions on possible future research avenues.