Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Majority of Maltese believe a woman's place is in the home
A woman's main job is to stay at home and raise the family, while men should not be on the same footing when it comes to household chores like cleaning, cooking and raising children, the majority of Maltese believe.
There may be more female University graduates than males, but according to a Eurobarometer survey released yesterday the cultural shift in mentality has not yet happened.
Maltese respondents, both male and female, do not think women out of a job may also be cut off from the world, in contrast with their European counterparts.
The survey, conducted last October, found that although 61 per cent of respondents admitted the number of working women was still too low - the lowest in the EU - 85 per cent (the highest in the EU) still felt women should give priority to raising children over their career. Just 10 per cent stated the contrary.
This opinion is also held in "abnormal circumstances" such as when a working mother earns more than the father. In this scenario, 60 per cent disagreed the father should stay at home and the mother goes to work. According to 68 per cent of respondents, it is "normal" for men to participate less than women in household tasks.
Meanwhile, 60 per cent agree it is normal for women to be expected to work less than men, while 36 per cent disagree. This contrasts sharply with the European thinking where almost half the respondents (48 per cent) disagree with this statement and only 43 per cent agree.
While the majority, 60 per cent, admit there is increased gender equality today when compared to 10 years ago, some answers indicate Maltese society's frame of mind has not made the necessary adaptation and does not treat men and women on an equal basis.
The survey also shows the Maltese are the Europeans most likely to defend the role of a housewife.
Asked if "women who do not work are isolated from the world", 80 per cent of Maltese respondents totally disagreed. In the rest of the EU, only 52 per cent disagreed with this statement.
On a policy level the survey clearly indicates what needs to be done to encourage more women to take up employment.
According to the survey, 68 per cent would like to see the introduction of more flexible working hours while almost 50 per cent said there should be an increase in childcare facilities. The latter should also be given at a reasonable price as the majority, 68 per cent, think a women's salary is almost equivalent to the childcare costs making the extra sacrifice much less worth it.
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B Cremona
Mar 11th 2010, 02:35
@Elvira Against Nature? Mela hsibtna penguins? :) Its been a while we've stopped living in caves and hunting for deer... most jobs now-a-days don't require any form of strength, but brains which God happens to have given women too. Well some it seems ;)
Am sure men would also happily stay at home instead of going to work, but unfortunately most financial situations no not allow it. And one wage sometimes simply isn't enough if children are involved. Having a father work 2 jobs barely seeing the kids doesn't help much in their upbringing either.
A.Borg
Mar 10th 2010, 11:09
Of course it is... ever wondered why women have smaller feet than man? So that they can stand closer to the kitchen sink :) :)
And of course I'm joking :)
Myrna Minkoff
Mar 10th 2010, 10:48
@Elvira Mallia
while i agree with you that children need a strong caregiver at home to provide a backbone for the family, i've gotta say, it's dangerous to argue the "nature" argument. Be careful.
Bertie O'cassey
Mar 10th 2010, 09:55
The crux of the matter is one, unless you have grandparents or rich the wife cannot persue a career after giving birth. at least not before the child is 2 or 3 years old. Whilst certain companies grant 1 year unpaid leave or telework, most do not. As a country something should be done, if a womans ambition is to stay at home and care for the children and tend to the house so be it, but unfortunately most women cannot but go to work and tend to their children and the house. Men in Malta have been papmpered and some cannot even boil an egg let alone care for the family, in most cases these are the fruit of stay home mums. A man in my opinion cannot be called such if he cannot do what a woman can do (obviously not as good). Men and women are equal, but every couple has it strong and weak points and they compensate for each other. finaly women that work should not be looked down on because the fact is that what a stay home mum does is done by a working mother after a working day.
KBondin
Mar 10th 2010, 09:41
I simply can't believe this article. Women are not only good at staying at home. I do believe in the family values but I also respect a woman's social life!
One should increase the childcare facilities at work, it would help the parents a lot. Men are always discriminated from the family. A man needs to work full time & sometimes part time for the family. Do you call it fair than to have the father seeing his children only a few hours a week? Is it fair that a father cannot have the same bondage a mother has with her children.
The best way for me is to have one parent working full time & the other part time, this would help their social life while being in contact with their children.
E Compagno
Mar 10th 2010, 06:42
Nothing wrong with a woman working while the children are in school.
Nothing wrong with the man cooking dinner, washing the dishes and washing the clothes.
I believe a balance is the best, but we must nurture our children with these ideals. Stop coddling your sons and give them a duster and set an example to your daughters by doing something productive like a part time job that gives you some financial freedom.
David Kenely
Mar 10th 2010, 05:27
1. One survey can have many interpretations
2. Having lower numbers in some aspects of surveys does not automatically equate to being worse off.
3. We do not know the questions to the survey...was it looking at opinon, facts or perception?
4. As long as people can do what THEY feel is right and not what they are IMPOSED to do, I cannot see why such situation should be seen as better or worse, it is what it s.
rbuttigieg
Mar 9th 2010, 21:36
sorry but a man's life isn t always heaven either... why is the media soooooo biased??/
take a look at this.
http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/UN-ViolenceReport-Resolution.pdf
K. Pullicino
Mar 9th 2010, 15:44
@Moses Mula:
As usual, calling Malta "backward" and going all ballistic at the Church. Tell us then, what's the "forward" way of thinking. Leaving your children at some child centre?
I don't think that a woman's place is in the home but I admire any parent (whether male or female) that chooses to stay at home and I believe that is the what we should aim for.
Kate Bonello Sullivan
Mar 9th 2010, 14:30
This article also personifies the mentality of women in Malta and the reason why women don't vote for women in elections. If I recall one of the main questions asked of female MEP candidates during their campaign was 'who will look after your family' or words to that affect - not what candidates could do to improve the role of women in the socio-economic sphere.
It is indeed a sorry state and one can only conclude that the 'mop and broom' mentality is a result of the mental stagnation of our times or perhaps the envy of women who feel intimidated by the success of other women who are capable of carrying out both roles with equal success. Much of this attitude is cultural and it will take time to dissipate. Unfortunately this cultural attitude is fired up by a lack of government and church support and commitment thereby keeping women in a state of 'lesser beings'.
Elvira Mallia
Mar 9th 2010, 14:01
Which is why Malta has the lowest rate of marriage breakdowns and crimes in Malta. There is a connection between when women, with their so called emancipation, started going out to work and marriages breaking up and crimes increasing.
It is inherent in the nature of women to stay at home and nurture their children, we should not be encouraging them to go out into the workplace. Nature dictates that the man goes out to procure for his family and the female stays home to take care of the children and of her spouse.
Going against nature is a dangerous thing.
M Camilleri
Mar 9th 2010, 13:56
Tajjeb mela in-nisa joqoghdu id-dar u l-kontijiet tad-dawl u l-ilma jhallsuhomli tas-survey.
Paul Vella
Mar 9th 2010, 13:35
"but according to a Eurobarometer survey the cultural shift in mentality has not yet happened" ... and it would be a tragedy if such beautiful values were to crumble any further! Is it possible that this europe is still not happy after having crushed our values and culture to the point they are today?
@Mr. Mula
Perhaps you aren't able to support the family on your own and allow your family the gift which only a full time mother and wife can ever give. It pains me when I hear the poisonous advice forcing mothers to seek employment. The work done by stay at home moms is little short of being saintly. Those who cannot see this have something wrong with them and should stop spreading the poisonous propaganda any further.
But let everybody see what this europe mentality stands for ... it is full fledged capitalism, a mentality where money rules and individuals are just numbers. Women stand up for yourselves and don't let the gift of motherhood be stolen away from you. It is a gift which I, a man can never receive.
RPACE
Mar 9th 2010, 13:23
Reading the said article I am more convinced I have made the right decision to leave Malta 9 years ago. Unbelievable that such mentality still prevails!!
J,Cassar
Mar 9th 2010, 13:17
Moses Mula, you are getting the terms 'equality' and 'being the same' confused. Equality is when you have equal rights and opportunities. Being the same is one being a copy of the other. If the Maltese believe that women should mainly do house chores and men do outside work, then that is equal. Both are assigned one task. It turns to discrimination when one has a right to do both things and the other none ( for an example of discrimination see the case of women who complained they have to wear a skirt in court. They argued that not being allowed to wear trousers was tantamount to discrimination. Erm, are men allowed the same right to wear both a skirt and trousers? No!)
Let's not forget that the majority of the population have voted for this. There are more females than males in Malta (50.3% of the population according to the last census). Society gives value to different things and, as much as I don't like it myself, I recognise that the Maltese people have a right to give high value to stay at home mums. That said the church and authorities do have a lot to answer for.
L. Dimech
Mar 9th 2010, 12:59
You know what is really DISGUSTING? The way every one of you whingers and moaners love slamming their Country at every little chance they find. You can never leave things in their perspective.
You get the ones (who clearly have never left their village) moaning "ONLY IN MALTA" - where do these people live, have they really been around as much as they want others to believe? Others uttering disgust at their Country - why?
Thank God we have a Country, self government, a language, God knows how many people envy us for what we have - generally good humour, kindness and so many other important attributes. BE PROUD OF YOUR COUNTRY. By all means criticise ideas, attitudes, and everything else.
Tutto l'mondo e` paese - all the world is a village - you'll find narrowmindedness in even the most advanced country. We have advanced in giant strides, but there are still healthy debates on everything and thank God for that, otherwise we'll all be stereotyped.
You'll also find women themselves not quite seeing eye to eye. It's heartbreaking to leave a 3-month baby to return to work.
MEANWHILE, LET'S COUNT OUR BLESSINGS AND LEAVE MALTA OUT OF IT.
M. Tabone
Mar 9th 2010, 12:56
The last sentence is absolutely right. That's why there are few women working in Malta!
Maria Vella
Mar 9th 2010, 12:44
Dear A Spiteri no matter what gender you are this news item is neither good nor bad news. Women who want to use their nut oiutside the home are not following any dogma. I think you may be a male who is afraid of being caught up within the intelligent witts of a female. While having the luxury of living well with one salary may be envied by many, it may not always be roses. There is a limit to how much such lucky ones may be considered stupid, dull, and uncapable of talking about anything but kids and cooking. It should be a choice,not a fashion.
adrian aquilina
Mar 9th 2010, 12:39
seems malta is even more backward in mentality then i thought...this disgracefull form of control over women comes directly from religion now..religion has no respect for women and neither do men who think like this and a spiteri,your comment must be a joke as i thought people like you had died out about 50 years ago or are the narrow minded,conservatives still breeding controlling and totaly unrealistic thinking people?it has nothing to do with anyone what your partner or wife does..no man owns his wife/partner.we are all equal..like a womens body is hers to decide what she does with it,she has a brain to decide if she wants to work..and men make sure you do housework,cook etc..the reason some men dont is down to laziness and lack of respect...why are the conservative christians always the most controlling!!!!!!
Tanya Briffa
Mar 9th 2010, 12:31
So most Maltese still think caring for the family is more important than having a career. There's nothing wrong with that, and I think Malta should not be made to appear backwards because of it. JUST AS LONG as women who become full time mums or otherwise jeopardise their career aspirations are really happy to do so. I would like to see statistics stating why the Mums are staying at home or working part-time. Could it be lack of support and assistance from Dads? We all know that Maltese mothers spoil their little boys and turn out men incapable of being self-sufficient let alone doing their share at home.
About childcare facilities, I'm surprised that not more people are using the Klabb 3-16 facility which is currently available in three schools and would be made available more widely should it become feasible to do so. It only costs €1.20 an hour and there are even some grants available. My daughter stays there a few times a week and she loves it.
Morana Axisa
Mar 9th 2010, 12:23
It is really a shame that Malta is still such a backward country as to continue spreading this mentality of prescribed roles held during the fifties. No wonder that studies confirm that Malta is also the country which is least interested in cultural events and also one of the countries whose citizens read the least out of all EU members. Seems that lack of education and backward mentality go hand in hand - both indicate a victory of ignorance over evolution!
I truly hope that with the next generation, this hopeless vicious cycle will finally break.
To ASpiteri: Does the acknowledgment of the fact that both genders are equal and should be equally free to do what they want count as 'Liberal' to you? And if so, why be so denigrating? Would you be happy knowing that your daughter isn't free to pursue an interesting career or get higher education or be paid less then her male counterparts? Might as well go live in an Islamic country!
Ramon Casha
Mar 9th 2010, 11:19
It would be interesting to compare the views of different age groups. They should be very different.
On the other hand I am not surprised that Maltese people strongly disagree that "women who do not work are isolated from the world". In most places around Malta, there is a very strong sense of community. People know their neighbours, many shopkeepers know all of their clients on a first-name basis, there's a fantastic amount of gossip going on all the time. Many of these things are absent in the large cities. It's much more likely to be alone in a city of a million inhabitants than a village of a couple of thousand.
Isolated from the world? In a Maltese village you can't sneeze without half the village getting to know about it.
MosesMula
Mar 9th 2010, 10:55
The most narrow minded backward anti-equality country in in the E.U. Surely this does not surprise me but it still disgusts me. The saddest thing is that probably the majority of women see this as just a rightfull part of the maltese culture. The horrible truth is that this has nothing to do with culture and everything to do with male machoism and female weakness to wake up and start doing something for their rights. Furthermore the church and the Maltese authorities have a lot to answer for. Disgusting.
ASpiteri
Mar 9th 2010, 10:21
Good News...seems that the Maltese ladies haven’t been totally brainwashed by the Liberal dogma!
The Liberals/Feminists extremists need to step up their crusade to spread their poisonous beliefs!