Gender corrective mechanism applied, adding seats to increase women MPs to 28%

In 2022, Malta applied a gender corrective mechanism designed to increase the representation of women in Parliament, resulting in additional seats being allocated to female candidates and raising the share of women Members of Parliament to 28 percent. The mechanism was introduced as part of broader electoral reform aimed at addressing the historically low representation of women in Maltese politics. Under the corrective formula, parties that cross a specified vote threshold but elect fewer than a set proportion of women candidates receive extra seats to ensure a minimum level of female representation. This approach reflects efforts to enhance gender equality in political decision-making and to create a legislature that more accurately reflects the demographics of Maltese society. The implementation of the gender corrective mechanism had significant political and social impact. Politically, it reshaped the composition of the House of Representatives by increasing gender diversity and encouraging parties to support more women candidates. The measure has been credited with accelerating progress toward gender balance in Maltese governance, which had lagged behind many of its European counterparts. Socially, the increase in women MPs helped elevate the visibility of women’s voices in national debates on policy areas such as social welfare, education, and health. While advocates emphasise that further progress is needed to reach full parity, the 2022 application of the gender corrective mechanism marked an important milestone in Malta’s ongoing efforts to promote inclusive and representative democracy.