Di-ve: [Dolores] Cristina calls for widened equality campaign

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4.6.10 by di-ve.com - editorial@di-ve.com

Education Minister Dolores Cristina has called on the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality to work for different forms of equality and not only gender and race issues.
Speaking at the commission’s annual conference, being held at the Palace Hotel in Sliema, she said over the coming months, the commission should also start to look at equality in the context of age, religion and sexual orientation, as too many people were being emarginated and excluded on the basis of these issues.

She said that while the Pope took part in ecumenical interfaith meetings, all too often people from other religions like Islam and Buddhism were treated in Malta as though they had “contagious diseases”.

Ms Cristina said that people aged between 45 and 50 found it hard to get work even though they still had 10-20 years before retirement – and even though they may have much more experience than those who were younger.

Those with different sexual orientations also had much to offer and had as many rights as any other people.