Momentum Proposes Three Ways to Fight Domestic Violence in Malta

Imagine this: a woman, let’s call her Maria, living in a quiet apartment block in Msida. Every night, the walls echo with shouts, the sound of breaking glass. Maria’s neighbour, a young girl, asks her mother, “Why does Maria’s husband shout so much?” The mother sighs, “It’s none of our business, dear.” This is the reality for many women in Malta. But what if we could change this? What if we could make it everyone’s business?

Momentum, a local NGO dedicated to supporting victims of domestic violence, has proposed three innovative solutions to help women like Maria. These proposals, presented to the government, aim to strengthen support systems, increase awareness, and ultimately, save lives.

Momentum’s first proposal advocates for a broad approach to supporting victims. This includes expanding safe houses, providing legal aid, and offering psychological support. Currently, Malta has only two safe houses, both run by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS). Momentum proposes increasing this number and ensuring they are equipped to handle the unique needs of each victim.

“We need more safe houses, and they need to be more than just a roof,” says Dr. Maria Azzopardi, Momentum’s coordinator. “We need spaces where women can heal, where their children can grow up without fear. We need to provide legal aid, psychological support, even job training.”

Momentum’s second proposal focuses on education. They suggest integrating domestic violence awareness into school curriculums. This would not only educate students about the issue but also empower them to recognize and report abuse.

Dr. Azzopardi explains, “We need to start young. We need to teach our children about consent, about healthy relationships. We need to give them the tools to recognize abuse and the courage to report it.”

Momentum also proposes mandatory training for teachers and school staff on how to handle cases of domestic violence.

Momentum’s final proposal centers around awareness campaigns. They suggest targeted campaigns in public spaces, on social media, and even in workplaces. The goal is to normalize conversations about domestic violence, to make it something we can all talk about, something we can all do something about.

“We need to change the narrative,” says Dr. Azzopardi. “We need to make it clear that domestic violence is not a private matter. It’s a community issue. It’s everyone’s business.”

The road to change is long and winding, but Momentum’s proposals offer a clear path forward. They offer hope to women like Maria, hope that one day, their stories won’t be whispered behind closed doors, but shouted from the rooftops. Hope that one day, domestic violence will be a thing of the past.

As Dr. Azzopardi puts it, “We can’t change the past, but we can shape the future. We can make Malta a safer place, one conversation, one law, one safe house at a time.”