Malta National Sexual Health Strategy 2010
Ending date: in place
Gender-based violence and Domestic Violence
Gender-based Violence and Domestic Violence Strategy & Action Plan - Vision 2020
Maltese and Gozitan Population
The core of the Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence Strategy is based on the report presented by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) that was set up soon after Malta ratified the Istanbul Convention to propose legislative amendments and policy measures that encompass its four pillars. This strategy and its corresponding action plan also seek to change the hearts and minds of individuals by calling on all members of society (in particular men and boys) to change attitudes. In essence, it is a renewed call for greater equality between women and men and freedom from gender stereotypes. This is because GBV&DV are deeply rooted in the inequality between women and men as well as imbalanced gender expectations, which are further perpetuated by a culture of tolerance and denial of the prevalence of such violence.
Strategy in Place
The Bill aims to recast current domestic violence legislation by strengthening existing definitions; introduce new state obligations (amongst others, the development of an action plan incorporating state-wide coordinated policies regarding all forms of violence covered by the scope of the Bill); and strengthen and widen the remit and functions of the Commission on Domestic Violence (CDV) by transforming it into a Commission on Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence. Furthermore, it aims to amend the Criminal Code, the Civil Code, the Police Act, the Probation Act and the Victims of Crime Act to bring all relevant provisions in line with the Istanbul Convention and international best practice in the field of GBV&DV.