Gender equality is of great importance for Malta as much as for the rest of the Mediterranean region, therefor, the Department of Gender Studies of the University of Malta in collaboration with the French Embassy in Malta will organize the conference "Women in the Mediterranean" with the participation of the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), founding member of the Euro-Mediterranean Women’s Foundation (FFEM).

The aim of this event which will take place on March 13th, 2019 at Aula Magna of the Valletta Campus is to inform academics, researchers, civil society organisations and public equality institutions about innovative approaches to empower women and the links between knowledge production and action.

The event will be opened by the H.E. President of Malta, Ms. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, and the H.E. French ambassador in Malta, Ms. Brigitte Curmi. Then, Ms. Emilie Vidal, coordinator of the Gender Equality Programme at the IEMed, will be presenting the methodology that the FFEM applies to ensure the promotion of a cooperative work among civil society, the research community, policy-makers and other actors in the Southern Mediterranean towards achieving gender equality.

The presentation will be followed by a round table and an open discussion with the audience, which will count with the participation of the following personalities and experts:

• Yana Bland, a political activist for justice, equality and peace;
• Renee Laiviera, a founder member of the Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations(MCWO) and Commissioner at the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE),
• JosAnn Cutajar, a professor and a researcher at the University of Malta and member of the Commission for the Advancement of Women within the Ministry for Social Policy,
• Umayma Elamir Amer, President of the Migrant Women Association Malta.

The University of Malta took a clear stand in favour of women’s rights in 2014 with the foundation of the Department of Gender Studies with teaching, research and activism as its three fundamental pillars. Due to the fact that Maltese do not have a proper word for gender, the department encountered some difficulties when it came to translating it into Maltese and opted for ’Dipartiment Studji dwar il-Ġeneri’. The word ’ġeneru’ as explained by Prof. Oliver Friggieri actually means genre, as in genre of poetry, prose, novels etc. However it is the word that has entered into common usage by some official organisations such as NCPE.

The general public is cordially invited to attend this thought-provoking conference and participate in the debate over the state of gender equality in Malta and in the Euro-Mediterranean region, but registration is mandatory through this link.

For more information on the conference please click here or check the attached document.