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Women in Politics Take the Spotlight During Congress Events in Gozo

ĊITTADELLA, 12 June 2025 – As part of Malta’s Presidency of the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government, Hon. Alison Zerafa Civelli, hosted a series of high-level events in Gozo organised by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

A keynote session focused on the role of women in politics and the barriers that continue to hinder their full participation. In her address, Hon. Zerafa Civelli emphasised the vital contributions of women to political life and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eliminating obstacles to their active involvement. She highlighted the importance of sustained investment and policy support to promote gender equality in governance.

The discussion also featured interventions from President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca; Malta’s Head of Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Hon. Naomi Cachia; and Ms Claudia Luciani, Director at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. Together with a panel discussion, the speakers explored structural and societal challenges facing women in political leadership, shared insights from the Maltese experience, and engaged participants in a dialogue on best practices to enhance female representation at all levels of government.

Earlier in the day, the Congress held a meeting of its Bureau, addressing several pressing topics related to local democracy across Europe. Discussions focused on the situation of local democracy in Armenia, with the elaboration of a new law on local self-government; local self-government reform in Cyprus; the impact on local self-government of the current political polarisation in Georgia; and dismissals of mayors in Türkiye, in the light of the recent visit of a Congress delegation to the country. The Bureau also held a discussion of the situation in Ukraine in the light of recent developments, and of the Congress’s ongoing work to support Ukraine’s decentralisation reforms.The Bureau session concluded with an exchange of views between the Congress and Parliamentary Secretary Zerafa Civelli, joined by representatives from Malta’s local and regional councils. A recorded message was delivered by the Minister for Home Affairs, Security, and Local Government, Hon. Owen Bonnici, highlighting Malta’s commitment to strong and inclusive local governance.

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