Sanchez calls for Parliament reforms to improve representation of women

Shadow Minister for Care Atrish Sanchez has underscored that structural changes are needed to encourage more women, working parents and carers to enter public life.

Ms Sanchez said more women than ever before were serving in public life, leading organisations and businesses, and helping to shape Gibraltar's future, but that Parliament was not compatible with real lives.

She said that women's representation in Gibraltar remained below the European average of around 33%, adding that further progress was needed.

“If we are serious about representation, we must stop pretending that the answer is simply to tell more women to stand,” she said.

“Women do not need annual speeches about empowerment while the structures around politics remain hostile to family life.”

“They need a Parliament that is compatible with real life. Their lives. They need a proper parliamentary calendar that is reasonably certain and family friendly. They need reasonable notice of sittings. They need advance notice of late sittings.”

She understood that advanced notice is not always possible, but suggested that the Government has scheduled late sittings “merely because it is politically expedient to bury a debate or the answers to parliamentary questions from public and media scrutiny.”

Ms Sanchez said the Opposition had committed at the last general election to introducing reforms aimed at improving representation, including that of women.

She said such practices created unnecessary barriers for Members with family responsibilities, including parents of children with disabilities.

“On what basis are we going to attract women with children, women who wish to start a family, or those with caring responsibilities, when we organise the affairs of this Parliament in a way that so often conflicts so grotesquely with family life?” Ms Sanchez said.

“And, of course, in this day and age, where childcare is increasingly shared between working parents, this grotesque interference affects both women and men.”

“But when this side of the House receives the Order of the Day an hour before a sitting—or sometimes even less—that is not conducive to attracting women, working parents or carers into politics.”

“And it is most certainly not conducive to attracting parents of children with disabilities into politics.”

“I say that as a Member of this House. I say it as a working woman. I say it as a working mother. And I say it as the mother of a child with disabilities.”

Ms Sanchez said the issue affected not only women but also men, as childcare responsibilities were increasingly shared between parents.

She said that receiving the Order of the Day shortly before a sitting was not conducive to attracting more women, working parents or carers into politics.

"Representation is not delivered by slogans," she said.

"It is delivered by structure."

Ms Sanchez also thanked parliamentary staff and the Office of the Speaker, adding they too were affected when sittings were arranged at short notice.

She said a modern Parliament that genuinely sought broader participation should reform the way it conducted its business.

Turning to the treatment of women in public life, Ms Sanchez said women were too often judged on their appearance, clothing, family life or personal choices before their contribution to public service.

She said this risked discouraging women from entering politics.

"Misogyny is real. Sexism is real," she said.

"The treatment of women in public life can still be appalling, and when it happens, it must be called out clearly and without hesitation."

However, she also argued that allegations of misogyny should not be used to deflect legitimate political scrutiny.
"Scrutiny is not sexism," she said.

"Challenge is not misogyny. Accountability is not abuse."

Ms Sanchez said misogyny should be challenged consistently wherever it occurred and not only when it was politically convenient to do so.

She added that equality did not mean women were beyond scrutiny, but that they should be judged fairly regardless of their political affiliation.

"Equality means women are scrutinised fairly," she said.

"Even when it is politically inconvenient. Especially when it is politically inconvenient."