The Commission Members - Stop Violence

Commissioner:

Ms. Samantha Pace Gasan

Samantha Pace Gasan was appointed Commissioner on Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence in July 2023. Prior to this role, Ms Pace Gasan had the role of Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disability. She was also a Director on the Jobsplus board and member of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality.

Ms Pace Gasan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Social Policy in 2016, where she explored the experiences of young women in political organisations. She was later awarded a Master in Creativity and Innovation in 2020. Throughout her Master programme, Samantha focused her studies on social innovation within Maltese SMEs.

Samantha promotes the importance of adopting an intersectional approach to policy, ensuring that the needs of different social groups are met and that initiatives undertaken are accessible for all. She strongly believes in the importance of collaboration and creativity and innovation to address longstanding societal issues.

Ms Pace Gasan became an activist in her teenage years. She was a member of the Malta Girl Guides, where she enjoyed various roles including as a leader in the community, as part of the Stop the Violence project and the National Board. She was also part of the National Youth Council where she worked on policy proposals regarding sexual health. Pace Gasan was the president of student organisation Studenti Ħarsien Soċjali and a co-founder of the Network of Young Women Leaders. She has also worked with Servizzi Ewropej Malta and the University of Malta where she worked on social research projects and developed proposals for EU funded projects.

Samantha is 30 years old, she is a person with disability and a foster carer.

Members:

Ms. Marika Tonna

“Marika Tonna is currently the CEO of Business 1^st, the one stop shop for business. Previously she was the Chief Operating Officer of Malta Enterprise, the island’s economic development corporation.

Ms Tonna also worked as a Consultant in the Office of the Prime Minister, a senior position that involved managing projects of a general business, strategic and specialist management nature. During this period she worked on a number of major projects in different Ministries.

She has also carried out consultancy assignments abroad and she was also Malta’s economic development representative in the UK in the 1990s.

She has a management degree and an MBA from the University of Malta.”

Dr. Bryony Balzia Bartolo

Dr Bryony Balzia Bartolo has been serving as a member on the Commission for Domestic Violence and Gender Based Violence since 2022.

She is a lawyer by profession and practices mainly in lease, property, data protection and family law.

She was admitted to the bar in 2017, after successfully reading Law at the University of Malta, obtaining a Doctor of Laws Degree, a Diploma of Notary Public, and a Bachelor of Laws and European Studies.

Dr. Alessia Psaila Zammit

Alessia Psaila Zammit is a lawyer and entrepreneur.

She served as a member of the Board that drafted the law for introducing the gender balance mechanism in Parliament. She has been active in advocating in favour of women’s rights and equality.

Alessia also has experience in local communities and voluntary organisations. Amongst several public roles, between 2007- 2008 she served as President of the National Youth Council and between 2017 and 2019, she served as Mayor of Siggiewi. Alessia has also served as a board member of public boards and public corporations. She worked in the media and public relations, with 18 years of experience in the field.

Alessia is also an entrepreneur in the retail and logistics sectors.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics, Banking and Finance and a Bachelor of Laws with Philosophy (LL.B), both from the University of Malta, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from the University of Manchester.

Alessia graduated with a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the IUKB University in Switzerland and a Masters in Bioethics from the University of Malta. In 2011, she graduated with Doctor of Laws (LL.D) from the University of Malta. She is married and has two children Emilia and Giuseppe.

Ms. Catherine Fenech

coming soon

Ms. Natasha Vella

coming soon

Ms. Sarah Haider

Sarah Haider has been a board member since 2022.

Ms Haider graduated with a Masters in Gender Studies (Research) in 2020. Her studies focused on the political, legal and social discourse surrounding women’s reproductive rights in Malta.

Prior to this Sarah was an elected representative for Anglia Ruskin Students’ Union in Cambridge, UK. As part of her role she championed accessibility and creating an inclusive environment at the University as well as supporting student volunteers in their activism and activist groups from Greenpeace to the Feminist Society. This role planted the seed of activism for Sarah and in the importance of women’s representation in all spheres of society.

Today, Sarah co-manages a family business in Water Testing and Consultancy.

Board Secretary:

Ms. Pearl Agius

“Pearl Agius obtained a Master in Advocacy from the University of Malta in 2022 and was admitted to the bar in 2023 after years of training with practicing lawyers. Therefore, Pearl is a warranted lawyer who is currently working in the waste industry as an in-house lawyer for WasteServ Malta Limited.

Pearl Agius has also spent six years from 2017 to 2023 working in the newsroom of a local television and radio station where she had the opportunity to cover various stories and meet people with different backgrounds and from numerous sectors. During her time working in the newsroom she had a keen interest in reporting human stories, civil liberties and court cases.

Furthermore, Pearl is an active citizen through her involvement in youth organisations.

In June of 2022 she was appointed Secretary of the Commission on Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence.”