Maltese Women Don't Have Many Rights

The other day I stopped by a jewelry stand on Tower Road in Sliema, and I started chatting with a Maltese woman. As usual, she detected my accent and asked where I was from. I told her I was an American who had moved to Malta, and that I was having trouble getting my work permit renewed because I am a Non-EU citizen.

She then told me her background: She's a native Maltese-born and bred in Malta. She's a professor (I would have guessed about 50 years old or so) and is an advisor on politics and economics to different European governments. The only government who refuses to listen to anyone is: yes, the Maltese government.

So this lady told me not to expect too much luck with the Maltese government granting anything these days to a NON-EU. And why? Because they don't grant anything to their own people.

For example, she was evicted from her own home. She has been fighting this eviction for the past five years and has now given up. I asked how she was evicted from her own home. The answer: Women in Malta do not have the right to inherit property from their parents; the house goes to the nearest male heir-brother, uncle, grandson, but not the daughter-even if she is the sole immediate heir of the parents.

I couldn't believe it. I didn't ask for many details, but this would mean that one of this woman's male relatives had her kicked out of her own house once her father or mother who she was living with died.

In ancient Egyptian, women had the right to automatically inherit one-third of the property or estate of their parents. They also had the right to initiate a divorce and represent themselves in court. And women had the right to write their own wills and leave their property to whoever they wanted. They could even leave people out of their will if they so desired.

We've come a long way in 5,000 years, haven't we? I always thought the ancient Egyptians had a lot to teach us modern societies. I think the Maltese is one society-among many others-that would benefit.

Ilene Springer lives in Malta and is author of An-American-in-Malta.com