PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER “Their Voice is My Voice. Their Voice is Our Collective Voice.” — Speaker Anġlu Farrugia

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Anġlu Farrugia, this evening inaugurated the exhibition “Her Voice” in Parliament, celebrating the women whose voices have shaped Malta’s democratic and social progress. 

The Speaker recalled that in 1947, universal suffrage gave Maltese women the right to vote and stand for election, breaking the silence that had long excluded them. Agatha Barbara, Malta’s first woman MP, transformed this right into action — later serving as Minister, President of the Republic, and even enduring imprisonment during the 1958 constitutional crisis. From her courage rose other leaders, including the President of the Republic of Malta Her Excellency Myriam Spiteri Debono & President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, each proving in different ways that “leadership knows no gender.”

Reflecting on recent legislatures, Speaker Farrugia highlighted the contributions of women serving as Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, MPs, and Opposition leaders. From energy and inclusion reforms to constitutional expertise and fearless independent voices, he underlined that these women did not come here to fill numbers, but they came here to legislate, to challenge, to serve. The gender corrective mechanism opened the door — but it is their voices that gave strength to Malta’s democracy, stated Speaker Farrugia. 

Concluding with a personal reflection, the Speaker evoked Mother Teresa, who left her footprint of compassion in Malta, reminding all that a single voice can create ripples of change. “Mother Teresa’s voice is my voice. The women legislators I have mentioned — their voice is my voice. Their voice is our collective voice,” he said, before declaring the exhibition open and inviting all to be inspired by “Her Voice.”

The conference was also addressed by Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms, Rebecca Buttigieg, and Opposition Spokesperson for Equality, Human and Civil Rights, and Children's Rights, Graziella Attard Previ.

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