As part of MED 25 – Bel Espoir, a collaborative initiative involving several Mediterranean countries, the Church in Malta is organising a conference entitled ‘Women in the Mediterranean’ on April 27, 2025, at the Mediterranean Conference Centre. Inspired by Pope Francis’ teachings on the region’s unifying role, the conference seeks to shift perceptions of women from objects of desire to self-determining subjects. Three thematic entry points will guide discussions: Il-Ħatfa (Abduction), examining women’s roles in migration and Mediterranean history; Barra u Ġewwa (Outward vs. Inward), exploring the tension between belonging and self-identity in patriarchal cultures; and Omertà (Silence and Being Silenced), reflecting on women’s voices in colonial and religious contexts.