A research and advocacy initiative to prevent gender-related killings of women in Malta has been launched. Femicide Research And Advocacy Observatory Set Up In Malta

Malta’s Observatory on Femicide will be handled by Women’s Rights Foundation in collaboration with the Commission on Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence, within the Ministry for Research, Innovation and Equality

The aim of this Observatory is to bring together various stakeholders and academics working in the field of gender-based violence and domestic violence to raise awareness, collect data, facts and statistics on femicide in Malta and provide key information on issues related to femicide. In turn, this will also inform and strengthen policy development and implementation.

The Malta Observatory on Femicide will act as a repository for research and studies including the creation of domestic homicide reviews.

A Memorandum of Understanding with the aim of collaborating on raising awareness, and supporting the Observatory in reaching its main objective, which is to ensure that research and data collection are carried out to better address the root cause of femicide and strengthen preventive measures, will be signed soon. 

The issue of femicide and domestic violence in Malta has been longstanding in the country, with several women being murdered in Malta over the years at the hands of someone they cared for.

While awareness has increased in Malta, domestic violence remains a big social problem. 

Figures tabled in Parliament last month show 74 cases in 2019 and 62 in 2020 which saw victims – predominantly women – ending up at Mater Dei’s emergency department. 

Malta’s new specialised Domestic Violence Unit receives about five reports per day.

Still, more than 96% of domestic violence cases in Malta have failed to result in convictions. There could be several reasons for this, including victims refusing to testify against their aggressor, or even withdrawing their complaint.

However, much more still needs to be done for Maltese authorities to effectively tackle the problem.

What do you think of the initiative?