Evelyn Bonaci

The Honourable
Evelyn Bonaci
MP UOM
Member of Parliament
for District 6
In office
25 April 1966 – 9 November 1981
Personal details
Born(1916-11-29)29 November 1916
Sliema, Crown Colony of Malta
Died16 December 2008(2008-12-16) (aged 92)
Luqa, Malta
Political partyLabour
SpouseLouis Bonaci
Children5
RelativesCikku Bonaci (brother-in-law)

Evelyn Bonaci (29 November 1916 – 16 December 2008) was a Maltese politician who served in the Parliament of Malta from 1966 until 1976 as a member of the Labour Party. Bonaci co-founded the women's wing of the Labour Party.

Biography

Evelyn Bonaci was born on 29 November 1916 in Sliema, Malta.[1] Several members of her family were politicians associated with the Malta Labour Party: her husband Louis unsuccessfully ran for the Parliament of Malta in the 1953 and 1955 elections, while her brother-in-law, Cikku Bonaci, was an MP and government minister. In 1961, she co-founded the women's wing of the Labour Party along with Agatha Barbara. Bonaci later served as the president of the women's wing of the party branch in Birkirkara, and was a member of the Labour Party's national executive committee.[2]

Bonaci unsuccessfully ran for parliament in the 1962 Maltese general election.[3] She ran again in the 1966 election, and was elected to represent District 6.[4][5] Bonaci was re-elected in the 1971 and 1976 elections.[6] She was defeated in the 1981 election. Following her defeat, Bonaci remained active in the Labour Party; she ran again in the 1987 election, but was defeated.[2][7] During her tenure, Bonaci was a member of the Maltese delegation to a conference of the Commonwealth of Nations.[8] In 1995, Bonaci was named an "officer of the National Order of Merit".[9][10]

Bonaci died in Luqa on 16 December 2008 at the age of 92.[11] Members of both major parties expressed condolences, including Tonio Borg and Joseph Muscat of the Labour Party.[11] The Labour Party stated that Bonaci was "an exemplary member of the party, known for her ethical respect towards political adversaries".[2] Her funeral was held at St Helen's Basilica in Birkirkara.[5]

References

  1. ^ Bonnici, Eman (2019). Iċ-Ċimiterju ta' Santa Marija Addolorata: storja, arti, personalitajiet [The Cemetery of Santa Maria Addolorata; History, art, personalities] (in Maltese). Heritage Malta. ISBN 978-99932-57-75-2.
  2. ^ a b c "Former Labour MP passes away". Malta Today. December 17, 2008. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
  3. ^ Clews, B. Hilary A (1975). The Malta Year Book (PDF). SIiema: De La Salle Brothers Publications. p. 379. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  4. ^ "Hon. Evelyn Bonaci MP". Parliament of Malta. 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
  5. ^ a b "Ex-Labour MP Evelyn Bonaci dies, aged 92". Times of Malta. December 17, 2008. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
  6. ^ Hoecker, Beate; Fuchs, Gesine (2013). Handbuch Politische Partizipation von Frauen in Europa Band II: Die Beitrittsstaaten [Handbook Political Participation of Women in Europe Volume II: The Accession States] (in German). Wiesbaden: Springer-Verlag. p. 240. ISBN 978-3-322-80892-9.
  7. ^ "Women Candidates in Maltese Elections". Malta Data. Archived from the original on March 13, 2008. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  8. ^ Reports on the Working of Government Departments for the Year 1975. Malta Department of Information. 1975. p. 7.
  9. ^ "Past Recipients of Maltese Honours and Awards and Date of Conferment" (PDF). Office of the Prime Minister of Malta. p. 2. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  10. ^ Reports on the Working of Government Departments for the Year 1995. Malta Department of Information. 1995. p. 160.
  11. ^ a b "Mrs. Evelyn Bonaci". Parliament of Malta (in Maltese). 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2023-03-13.