Equity Office annual report 2023-2024

Abstract

The University of Malta (UM) has a rich 400-year history, marked by notable milestones. Just over a century ago, in 1922 and 1925, Tessie Camilleri and Blanche Huber became UM’s pioneering female graduates, marking a significant moment in history.

It took nearly six decades from the graduation of the University’s first female student to the historic appointment of UM’s first female Professor. Another significant stride in gender representation within academia occurred in 1981, with the appointment of Marie Therese Camilleri Podestà, a doctor by profession, to the esteemed position of full Professor.

Fast forward to 1991, UM’s first ever Gender Issues Committee was officially set up. Interestingly, 1991 also witnessed a shift in its student gender demographics as there were more female than male students for the first time ever. This reality persists to the present day, exemplified by a record-breaking 40 female PhD graduates out of a total of 66 in 2024. [excerpt].