Confederation dismayed by Commissioner's remarks
The Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations (MCWO) has expressed concern over remarks attributed to Police Commissioner John Rizzo that, despite the importance of woman in the Force, they also posed a challenge to the administration when they asked for maternity leave, reduced hours and lighter duties”.
The Police Force is currently made up of 1920 officers of whom almost a fifth are women.
"The MCWO would like to point out that these statements denigrate women’s important roles in society both as workers and as mothers. Such declarations discourage women from remaining in the workplace as they are made to feel that they are a burden to the administration and to their colleagues. These remarks certainly do nothing to motivate women neither do they make them feel of any value at work. This attitude contrasts with the many efforts women make in order to meet family and work responsibilities," the confederation said.
"Commissioner Rizzo’s declarations are definitely not in line with government policy to increase women in the labour market. Malta has the lowest participation rate of women in the labour market (38%) among the 27 EU member states. The inactivity rate of women between the age of 25 and 54, in 2009 in the 27 EU member states, stood at 22.1%. The lowest inactivity rate of women in this age cohort was recorded in Slovenia at 12.1%. Malta, in line with developments or lack of them in this area of concern, was recorded as having the highest level of inactivity rate of women at 51.1%."
Whilst congratulating the Police Force for having attracted so many women into the Corps, the MCWO suggested that new and appropriate management skills be applied to bring it into line with the important work that women officers were doing in the Police Force as rightly pointed out by Commissioner Rizzo.
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Claire Desira
Feb 16th 2011, 20:27
I really cannot understand how nobody realizes that the real problem here is not the woman but the husband (MAN) that won’t share the load. Me and my husband both work full time and we have a child, but I only manage to work full time because my husband REALLY share the house work with me, he does for our child everything I do, he changed nappies when she was a baby, fed her and did everything that was needed.… I’m not saying it’s easy but we never missed a school concert or parent’s day or meetings because that’s where we use vacation leave and when it’s possible we BOTH go because we are both the parents. In my place of work yes I have woman that work less hours but they are paid for the hours they work for, so I really don’t feel that I’m doing there work. The real problem is not that they work less hours but it’s the fact that some of the husbands telephone every minute for instructions. So please all men out there just stop complaining about us and start by sharing the load because that is the only solution.
Alexia Farrugia
Feb 12th 2011, 07:51
Reading various comments one understands why female participation in our country is so low. We still have people who consider sexist comments as acceptable. Very European I dare say.
Stephanie Bezzina Wettinger
Feb 12th 2011, 07:35
For every woman who needs to take parental leave or reduced hours there is a man who can comfortably enjoy his full working hours, salary, and rights to promotion. Aren't there men in the Police Force who have children? Who takes care of their babies or children after school or when they are sick?
If there were the right facilities both men (those who carry out their responsibilities) and women can work more efficiently. How about a carer service where a carer can be sent to a home when a child is sick and missing school; Facilities where children can go to after school where they can relax and be helped with their homework; Formal organisation of nanny services; better availability of babysitters at short notice.
This has to be coupled with appropriate salaries for women (women are often paid less than men for the same job). The economic feasibility of better compensation for childcare should be studied.
Childcare is expensive and a large proportion of Maltese men have it for free and take it for granted. Those men who take care of children should speak of their experience, then may be other men will know what it feels like.
Eddie Attard
Feb 12th 2011, 06:37
The Commissioner was correct in his statement
G Falzon
Feb 12th 2011, 01:13
Stating God's truth means denigarting women to the MCWO. What a pathetic organisation. Does the MCWO require women to escape and hide from God's and nature's facts so that they feel emancipated?
rbuttigieg
Feb 11th 2011, 23:15
to all lambasting the commisioner as against women..... all he said was it's a challange not that he does not want women! having to let off workers on prolonged absence being male or female is a real problem because service has to continue. and yes the remaining workers have to make good for it, with leaves withheld. we are reaching a stage were one cannot voice his/her opinion if its against the usual rhethoric.
M.Caruana
Feb 11th 2011, 21:38
I'm sure he was misinterpreted. Keep up the good work Mr.Rizzo.
Dr Francis Saliba
Feb 11th 2011, 18:37
The Commissioner of Police was not denigrating anybody. He was stating the obvious truth.
Paul Formosa
Feb 11th 2011, 19:41
Jekk il kummissarju qal il verita, il verita hi li hemm ufficjal gholi fic civil li ghandu problema bl impjegati nisa, meta hemm kliem li rridu aktar nisa fid dinja tax xoghol.
Abela J
Feb 11th 2011, 19:52
The only problem is that the typical blue collar cannot afford having the wife not working. Obviously white collar individuals do not understand what this means, right Dr. Saliba?
wally vella-zarb
Feb 11th 2011, 20:12
@ J Abela It is not a question of 'blue collar or 'white collar. The problem is that a lot of employees do not appreciate the financial and logistic strain that this policy of positive discrimination, no matter how well-intentioned, places on the small employer in the private sector.
R Bartolo
Feb 11th 2011, 18:18
"...remarks attributed to Police Commissioner John Rizzo that, despite the importance of woman (sic) in the Force, they also posed a challenge to the administration when they asked for maternity leave, reduced hours and lighter duties”. Would the MCWO kindly point out which part of the above is not a very simple statement of fact? I'd be highly embarrassed if any men's organisation claiming to represent me came up with such nonsense and indeed I know quite a few women, capable of holding their own ground without any self appointed representation, who undoubtedly will be upon reading this. Come to think of it, the very existence of "women's organisations" should be an embarrassment in itself, a sad indictment of the capabilities of women (...or should that be, perhaps, non-male persons) Next, we'll have an uproar because someone suggests that women are less than ideal candidates for modelling men's underwear. Another organisation either in habit of playing victim or else (wo)manned (lest offence is taken) by persons lacking in simple reasoning skills. The choice of one option (or both) is mandatory.
Joyce Brincat
Feb 11th 2011, 18:38
The fact that the Police Commissioner felt the necessity to comment and distinguish between male and femail members of the police corps, shows that unfortunately in 2011 there is the need for organisations to distinguish themselves as women's organisations.
malcolm seychell
Feb 11th 2011, 18:05
Expressed concern for what?? John Rizzo said the truth. It is a nighmare for every organisation that employees(sometimes some of the best) take 3 years leave
alexia farrugia
Feb 11th 2011, 18:35
Knowing you as a candidate with a far right party, one understands that to you women should not take three years parental leave but stay at home and not participate in the work force!
Charles Sammut
Feb 11th 2011, 21:30
@ alexia farrugia
Contrary to what leftist liberals hold, a woman who "stays at home" is making a far more important contribution to society than a woman who "participates in the workforce."
In an ideal world, women should not have to go out to work. Raising children properly is a career in itself and far more rewarding than having a job. But to shore up the ever burgeoning cost of the welfare and social services so much vaunted about by the LL, more and more taxes have to be collected. Therefore more and more people have to be exhorted to work with the excuse of female emancipation and liberation.
Mothers dedicating their time to their children in fact have the very serious responsibility of raising and forming the character of the next generation. But the State knows better how future generations can best be harnessed. So send the mothers to work and take over the 'eduction' of the children from before they can even talk. Give me the child till age 7 and I'll give you the wo/man.
brian callus
Feb 11th 2011, 17:48
We have heard nothing from Carm Mifsud Bonnici's end, what he will do about these comments nor whether he agrees with what the commissioner has stated.
A,Cassar
Feb 11th 2011, 17:46
Dan huwa kaz iehor fejn ghandna partit fil gvern li jghid li hu favur il-familja u ufficjal gholi fic-civil isibha difficli biex japplika policies mahsuba biex jghinu l-familja. Titkellmu favur il-familja b konvenjenza politika. ISTHU
Dr Andrew Azzopardi
Feb 11th 2011, 17:45
I think the Confederation should have specified that these comments were made during the radio show 'Ghandi x' Nghid' on Radju Malta
Alexia Farrugia
Feb 11th 2011, 17:53
The commissioner was consistent since he repeated similar comments during another interview. The issue is not where they were stated but it shows what the commissioner really thinks about 20% of the police force.
Adrian Wirth
Feb 11th 2011, 17:41
Have we already forgotten the address by the President of The European Union to Parliament when he forcibly commented on the secondary role Maltese women appear to take not just in the politics in Europe but also locally. The grossly embarrassing silence with which his comments were greeted told us all just how accurate his observations were. The same perspective can be applied to any number of departments of state where all the appearances of institutionalised positive discrimination against the promotion of women appears to be the norm. By their own admission The Police Force is clearly ahead of the game when it comes to discriminatory policies. The innate Mediterranean male fear of a successful woman seems to bring out the well worn excuse of the corporate cost of pregnancy. Untrue. What's true is that males use that excuse to hide behind out of the fear that women might actually be more capable of doing any job better than them. A woman winning promotion over the self preserving mediocre male manager, oh dear no can't have that now can we.
Moses Mula
Feb 11th 2011, 21:26
You hit the nail on the head with every word you said. It is a very sad situation, but is most ragic about it is that thousands of maltese women either do not realise that they are living in a patriarchal country or just accept it and are even happy with the situation.
Alfred Bugeja
Feb 11th 2011, 17:18
I had heard the comment by the Commissioner live on the radio and he certainly did not sound as negative as he's being portrayed to be. He merely stated what most employers are faced with, but are scared to speak out about. The Commissioner merely spoke about facts... that he has a high rate of women under his employ and that most of them are on maternity leave/light duty/reduced hours/shift exempt. Since the complement of the force is finite and cannot be increased, he is faced with a situation where one fifth of his force is not flexible (circa 400 officers) as would be expected in a disciplined Corps. Obviously the remaining officers need to bend over backwards to make up for this. So kudos to Commissioner Rizzo for having the courage to say things exactly as they are.
alexia farrugia
Feb 11th 2011, 17:38
If the commissioner of police has a challenge to apply government policy, then it is up to the government to see that the policies set are applied accordingly. Is the the government that is so in favour of the family? Action speaks louder than words.
Adrian Wirth
Feb 11th 2011, 18:03
I just wonder how many of these women officers have been subjected to often extreme harrassement, crudery, male dominated verbal jibes, over dominent superiors, denigrating and humiliating duties. No wonder they are not performing to the same efficiencies as their male equivalents. It requires a willing and positive prolonged effort by the police executive to overcome institutionalised prejudice. If one presumes Malta is some few decades behind Northern Europe then they will be subjected to such treatment as their forebears were before them. Strength of character and persistence will however see them through.
Joseph Caruana
Feb 11th 2011, 16:52
What the police commissioner said about women are true facts. How can he as Commissioner administer his force when 20% of his force are women and most of them get pregnant, go on 2-3 years parental leave, and then go on slow work. How can he administer for Malta's security with members like these? And these shallow MCWO had better put their own house in order first. Their leftist stench can be felt from miles away. Their agenda is also rotten. Fejn ma tifmhux titkellmux.
Anton FArrugia
Feb 11th 2011, 17:51
Il Kawza favur aktar drittijiet tan-nisa huwa fl-interess ta'Pajjizna. Kumment bhal tal-kummissarju jaghmlu ghajb lil min qalhom.
wally vella-zarb
Feb 11th 2011, 15:32
While one appreciates the contribution that women give at their place of work one cannot escape from the fact that, objectively, a pregnancy is a self-induced condition that employers are, quite understandably, reluctant to finance.
Joe Cassar
Feb 11th 2011, 16:58
It is also an undeniable fact that falling birthrates are a problem in economic terms and threaten the sustainability of social services and pensions.
Employers who are "reluctant to finance pregnancy" are short sighted.
Alexia Farrugia
Feb 11th 2011, 17:36
No employer finances pregnancies. What one should understand is that family friendly practices are applicable in all the civil service. These are considered as problematic to the commissioner of police. Reason - the police force does not have the necessary HR structures. Where is minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici in all of this. Is he in a position to respond?
wally vella-zarb
Feb 11th 2011, 19:58
@ Alexia Farrugia "No employer finances pregnancies" Oh really? Who pays for maternity leave? Who is obliged to keep the position available, in many cases having to employ a substitute in the meantime? Santa Claus? @ Joe Cassar How is all that relevant to a small employer in the private sector?
Joe Cassar
Feb 11th 2011, 21:17
'@Wally Vella Zarb
Very simple. An employer, however small, needs employees to be an employer. And employees are not found in pomegranates, like Gogo Rummiena - they are borne of women. And since, in today's economy, women NEED to work, and their work is needed, we have to make it possible for them to have children.
It's that simple.
alexia farrugia
Feb 12th 2011, 08:41
@Wally Vella Zarb. Similar reasoning will lead employers to think that they should not pay for sick leave, vacation leave etc. Moreover, the family friendly policies that are applicable in all the public sector such as reduced hours etc are not mandatory in the public sector. Commissioner Rizzo, a high official in the civil service is finding it difficult to apply government policies regarding family friendly practices. Government should see that the heads of the deparment have the necessary structures to apply the policies. The police force is no exception.