“Equality is not just a box to tick, it must be a fundamental principle in everything we do”

"We need more women in politics. We need their leadership and powerful voices in Malta and Gozo, Europe and beyond. We must support each other, we must tell our stories to convince others to go for it," the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said, marking International Women’s Day on 8 March.
 
President Metsola was speaking at a gathering of leaders in business, finance, civil society and charity organisations, as well as educators, students, media professionals and content creators, in Mdina on Friday.
 
In Q&A sessions with well-known media professionals and influencers Clare Agius Ordway, Melanie Kelly and Trudy Kerr, the EP President talked about women in politics, her life as a leader and a mother, and her social media visibility and the harsher public scrutiny women in the spotlight receive.
 
President Metsola highlighted how when women succeed, they generate growth, they transform communities and inspire the next generation. She said that to empower tomorrow’s generation of strong women leaders, one needs to lead by example, and women need to support women.

President Metsola also referred to the European Parliament’s push for the landmark Women on Boards Directive. Since its adoption, the rate of of female appointments to all board roles increased from 35% to 43%.

“We have seen some progress, but more is needed,” President Metsola said.
 
President Metsola also answered questions from the audience on topics ranging from the participation of women in politics, her approach to social media comments, and to seeing more women in sectors such as medicine, films, education and technology.

Background

The European Parliament is shining a spotlight on the challenges facing women's rights and democratic processes in today's digital landscape as it marks this year’s International Women’s Day with an interparliamentary meeting in Brussels convened on Thursday by FEMM, the EP’s Women’s Rights Committee, and involving MPs from all Member States including Malta.

Yesterday the European Commission launched its new EU gender equality strategy. The European Parliament adopted a resolution in November 2025 to provide its input to the strategy.

Next week in plenary, MEPs will review progress on addressing the gender pay and pension gaps in the EU. The own-initiative report, to be put to a plenary vote on Wednesday, highlights the fact that women continue to carry out a disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work. This in turn reduces their labour market participation and pension accrual, and is one of the main reasons for the gender pay and pension gaps.