It’s International Women’s Day, a day where we look back at all the achievements, the women that came before us conquered over the years.  

To mark this day, here’s a list of some exceptional Maltese women that went against the societal grain and led the way for change on our islands.  

1. Norah Smyth  

Yesterday, The National Archives of Malta shared the story of Norah Smyth, who protested against the exclusion of women from the cigarette ration.   

Not only did Norah address His Honour, the Lieutenant-Governor of Hamrun, to bring light to this inequality, but she even retaliated with a harsh response, accusing him of excluding women from being part of the population after receiving a dismissive reply.    

2. Vivian 

Could you imagine being condemned for being a female and riding a bike? Well, this is precisely what happened to Vivian in the 1950s.  

Local historic community Magna Zmien shared a collection of images of Vivian, whilst retelling the hardships she had underwent when her and her husband rode their bikes into an unwelcoming village.  

“What I remember her saying is that she had gone riding with Nannu, they had gone to a village where the people weren’t used to seeing women on bicycles, and they started calling her names and throwing tomatoes at her,” Vivian’s granddaughter wrote. 

“Even though the 20th century was monumental in the movement for women’s rights, even small things like riding a bicycle were considered inappropriate in the Maltese Islands,” Magna Zmien added.  

Women like Vivian, who defied societal expectations and proudly rode their bicycles around, were an intrinsic part of women’s emancipation in Malta. 

3. Rita Refalo 

A couple of years back, The Malta Police Force celebrated International Women’s Day by sharing a photo of what was once an unusual sight – “two of the first five policewomen recruited by the Malta Police Force on June 4, 1956.”  

The caption continued to state that “back then, women in uniform were not readily accepted and had to be escorted by a plainclothes policeman.” 

Did you know that women had to quit working back then if they intended to marry? This, in fact, is what Rita Refalo (woman on the left in the photo) was compelled to do.    

It is thanks to the women that challenged societal expectations that we have the rights we do today!  

Happy international women’s day! 

Main Image: Facebook/ The Malta Police Force