01/10/2025 Women@PACE
“Policy alone does not bring change. We need to change mindsets” stressed from the outset Her Excellency Myriam Spiteri Debono, President of Malta, speaking at the Women@PACE group meeting during the 2025 Autumn Session of the PACE.
The discussion, under the theme “Passing the Torch: Women’s Solidarity in Politics,” reflected the growing significance of women’s leadership. President Spiteri Debono shared her own experience in political and public life, highlighting the challenges faced by women entering politics as well as the importance of building strong networks of solidarity. She underlined that women’s voices are essential for democratic resilience and for promoting equality in decision-making processes.
She stressed that women across Europe continue to face barriers such as sexist remarks, gender stereotypes, and questioning of their abilities. “These are realities that I, and many of you, have been confronted with throughout our lives,” she noted.
Emphasising the importance of mentoring, she added: “It is vital to mentor young women and girls, sharing the lessons of our struggles for equality. We have to build their confidence from a young age to see themselves as leaders. Our efforts are not only for ourselves, but also for those who come after us.” She called for the creation of “a sisterhood in politics across national borders and continents” and concluded that “women and men must work together” to achieve equality.
Naomi Cachia (Malta, SOC), the youngest woman head of a national delegation, emphasised the need to work towards a society that does not only speak of women lifting each other up – but of humans lifting each other up. “I want to live in a society where, if I have daughters one day, they will not be made to feel like they have to work harder to pursue their ambitions, just because of their gender.”
Recognising the importance of mentoring and empowering women, PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou added: “I would not have become Secretary General – the first woman to hold this post since the Assembly’s creation - if it had not been for women members of this Assembly who mentored me, convinced me, encouraged me, and supported me.”
The discussion concluded with an open exchange, allowing participants to ask questions and engage in dialogue with President Spiteri Debono.
Created in 2022 on the initiative of PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou, the Women@PACE group is a non-political, cross-party, informal platform open to all women members of the Assembly. It continues to serve as a space for dialogue, mentoring, and collective action in defence of equality.
