Rebecca Buttigieg, who is Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reform, and Minister Miriam Dalli, have spoken about the ‘false narrative’ Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma is portraying on childcare.

During a ceremony at Ta’ Pinu in Gozo, Mgr Teuma is heard stating in a recording that’s making the rounds online that he condemns the fact that some children are taken to childcare as young as 2 years old on the pretext that the parents are busy.
He added that that when a baby stops being treated as a person and money comes first – even to the point of taking out a loan to buy a beautiful bedroom – the baby becomes an object that is less important than the bedroom.

In a counter argument on her socials, Rebecca Buttigieg wrote: ‘As a mother with an almost two-year-old daughter who attends childcare, a service that is used by thousands of families in the same way we use it, I fail to understand this kind of talk. How can one condemn or pass such judgement?

‘I can personally attest to how dedicated and professional the carers are, and to how the activities carried out in these centres complement what we do as parents.’

She continued: ‘The narrative portrayed that those who make use of childcare are somehow abandoning their children is completely unfounded.

‘Childcare, which is now free of charge, has been an essential measure for thousands of Maltese and Gozitan parents. A socialist measure that not only helped more women achieve economic independence, but has today become a crucial part of children’s formative education.’

Meanwhile, Minister Dalli, who is also a mother, joined Buttigieg’s call by taking to her socials and said that as a mother of two boys who attended childcare when they were younger than two years old, she feels that childcare helped them grow and become stronger, including socially.

If the Bishop feels comfortable condemning me and other parents who send their children to childcare, I say “go for it”. You can condemn me as much as you like, and I can assure you that my children were never, and are not, “objects” as he described children.

After all, this was not simply an opinion about childcare, but a message that condemns working parents and fuels hostility against them.

Nisa Laburisti issue statement

Im a statement, Nisa Laburisti said: As a branch, we have followed the statements made by prominent figures in our society, and while we understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, this cannot be done at the expense of the role of women.

The journey of women towards becoming independent in our society over the years has been long and full of obstacles. Let us be careful with our words so that we do not send women back to dark times.
A woman’s place in society is decided by each woman for herself.

No woman should feel bad for going out to work, or for staying at home. No woman should feel bad because she needs help in raising her children, whether that help comes from relatives or through childcare centres. And more importantly, no woman and no person should feel bad about leaving an abusive situation.

We expect better from influential figures in our society.