Labour’s Training Academy For Women Politicians Off To A Good Start
Labour MEP Miriam Dalli (pictured) is in charge of the training scheme
A new training programme by the Labour Party for women keen to enter politics is off to a good start, as 85 women have applied to join it.
A board chaired by PL executive secretary Lydia Abela will now scrutinise the applicants – whose ages vary from 16 to 65 – and will choose 35, who will be trained in politics and campaigning.
The ‘LEAD’ training programme is being led by Labour MEP Miriam Dalli, and the women will be mentored by several PL politicians, including Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, former Prime Minister Alfred Sant, and a host of ministers and parliamentary secretaries.
“The absolute majority of these applicants have absolutely no political experience, and we are looking forward to seeing these women start actively participating in Maltese politics with the Labour Party,” Dalli said.
The LEAD programme is a key plank of Labour’s plan to attract at least 48 women candidates to contest the next election, rising to 35% of all candidates by 2022, and 50% of candidates by 2027.
Female participation in Maltese politics is notoriously low – only 11% of the 377 candidates in last June’s general election were women, down from 15% in 2013.