Main image source: Gender Equality Malta (GEM)
It all began on June 16th 2016, when Women’s Rights Foundation filed a judicial protest against the State calling for the licensing of the morning after pill in Malta. Exactly four months have passed since that initial step, and it can be said that hardly any progress has been made. All parties involved in this nation-wide debate have all been successful in making a lot of noise, but a lack of action and results stirred up frustration amongst those Maltese citizens who want to start seeing change.
It is for this reason that earlier today the youth-led Maltese organisation Gender Equality Malta (GEM) held a protest which started at 10 o’clock this morning in Republic Street, and led a peaceful march at noon from the Parliament to St George’s Square and back again. When interviewed by the Times of Malta, the president of GEM, Mel Mcelhatton, stated that “[they’re protesting] to show our leaders that we don’t want this, we want it over the counter.”
Despite there being a turnout of around 300 people at the protest, one cannot stop to wonder whether change will actually follow today’s event. Earlier this week, a joint committee came to the conclusion that one type of MAP (morning after pill), which contains levonorgestrel, should be licensed in Malta. It was also decided that the MAP should only be available against doctor’s prescription and that the doctor can exercise the right to refuse to prescribe it. To sum up, a woman in Malta would probably not be able to buy the morning after pill the morning after, when she needs it.
The agreement that the joint committee came up with was described as a remarkable achievement by both parties involved. But whilst they were patting themselves on the backs, MEPs Roberta Metsola, Helena Dalli and Miriam Dalli began to become very vocal in their disagreement of it. Finally hearing individuals with large influence on the political stage contradict the notion taken up by the joint committee lifted the hopes of many. The MEPs stated what was already known to most who are in favour of the MAP, that it is a non-abortive pill and should be pharmacist recommended, and so it does not make sense that restriction should be imposed on it.
Every social issue pressed by NGOs tends to become a political spectacle here in Malta, which the population is beginning to get tiresome of. This begs the question, will Malta ever see change, or are we doomed to remaining labelled as a "backwards country’ by the rest of the world?
