Malta and the Politics of NGOs: Who Benefits from the Narrative of Patriarchy and Racism?
Listen to the British Opposition leader and head of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, speaking about racism. Badenoch argues that the UK is not a racist country. Her reasoning is straightforward: if the UK were truly a racist society, it would be inconceivable for someone like her to occupy such high positions within the country’s governing system.
However, she makes a more nuanced and vital point. She states that some groups and NGOs have a vested interest in fomenting and sustaining a narrative centred on racism. In other words, racism becomes not only a social issue but also a political and institutional agenda that some organisations actively promote.
In Malta, we find ourselves in a comparable situation. Some NGOs have a clear interest in pushing forward a discourse centred on patriarchy, often presenting it as a structural and omnipresent reality. Those individuals, platforms, or commentators who attempt to challenge or nuance this narrative are frequently branded by the mainstream media as racists or Fascists. This creates an atmosphere in which critical discussion becomes difficult, as disagreement is immediately moralised and delegitimised.
At least, Trump has now halted funding to some of these groups, which signals a growing recognition that such organisations are not always neutral actors but can be part of a broader ideological and financial ecosystem that benefits from perpetuating certain narratives.