Men who work long hours don't worry about the effect this has on their children, as they feel the pay packet validates neglecting the family, according to a new study.
The study also reveals that fathers are not burdened with the guilt most women shoulder because they feel they are conforming to cultural expectations.
Josann Cutajar from the university's Sociology Department, highlighted the fact that as a result of the conflict women face between social obligations and self-actualisation, they are either choosing to have children late, or not at all, and postponing marriage.
Dr Cutajar, who made an argument for shared parenting, quoted from a study conducted by Saviour Rizzo this year to back her point.
The study shows that women who work devote more time to their family than men, make more sacrifices for the family and tend to "feel controlled by time" rather than being able to manage it.
These women stated that child care was the main factor that impinged on the work-life balance. More often than not, 58.5 per cent of working families in Malta left their children with the grandparents, another 5.4 per cent left them with relatives, 27.6 per cent had other arrangements, while a mere 8.5 per cent used child care facilities.
"The data shows that in Malta men are serviced by women and therefore operate with a competitive edge over women in the public sphere. When women work, fathers rely on the mother's flexibility, hard work and sacrifices to balance work and family responsibilities," she said.
Dr Cutajar stressed the importance of introducing some form of family leave that would enable parents to stay at home with a sick child or attend school functions.
She was one of a number of speakers at a half-day seminar on Gender Equality: A Responsibility of Both Sexes, a project funded by the European Commission and organised by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality at the Radisson SAS Resort, St George's Bay.
The seminar, opened by commission executive director Sina Bugeja, is part of a project that brings together Malta, Italy, Greece and Cyprus to positively influence the attitude of both sexes and promote good practices.
The urgent need for family leave was raised by a school assistant head and father of four during the discussion period. He pointed out that it was common practice in the profession that teachers called in sick when their children were unwell.
"Most of us are living a lie and presenting a sick leave certificate when it's actually their child who was sick. Everybody knows about this situation, but nothing is done. It's not a healthy situation and maybe family leave could be utilised as part of the parents' sick leave," he said.
While some stressed the need for greater flexibility and more incentives, Maronna Filletti, a council member of the Malta Employers' Association, pointed out that whatever happened, decision-makers had to keep in mind that organisations worked in a competitive world.
"We cannot have a situation where most of the employees are on parental leave. Whatever happens we cannot make organisations uncompetitive," she added.
Artemis Touzami, president of the Cyprus Federation of Business and Professional Women, said that to achieve equality it was not enough for women to strive for it; men had a vital role to play, first and foremost by accepting women as equal players at work and taking on a fair share of family and house responsibilities.
"By doing so men not only support women, but they enrich their own lives," she said.