Gender quota conundrum

In the past few weeks, the hotly-debated theme of gender equality has again resurfaced. The pressing issues surrounding the perennial problem with Malta’s apparent mismatch between the sexes clearly remains one of those seemingly unassailable hurdles that continue to fester within both the political and corporate landscapes.

As expected, several opinion writers and non-governmental organisations raised the thorny issue of female quotas as a possible solution to the gender inequality impasse.

This time around it seems the proposal is for quotas to be set at least for a limited period of time. It is envisaged that this limited time would empower more women to attain influential positions in varied decision-making processes. The numeric advantage would be applied not only within the political sphere but extended beyond into the corporate and business world

The ultimate goal would be the establishment of a more realistic form of gender equilibrium in the leadership process that would reflect the wishes and aspirations of both sexes in a clearer and fairer manner.

Some would cynically suggest this is a hackneyed debate. Undoubtedly, the need for some sort of reform or change in strategy on the subject of gender equality has been pressing for quite some time. For all the progress this country has achieved over the years in many areas, such as the economic, social and political spheres, Maltese women clearly lag behind their European counterparts in terms of their role and place in society.

A fleeting glance at a few headline statistics confirms the apparent disproportionate dominance of males in leading positions as compared to women.

Is it not ironical that, while 60 per cent of our University graduates are women, only 40 per cent of females are regularly employed? No one denies that successive legislatures, particularly the present one, increased efforts in introducing measures, both fiscal and otherwise, in an effort to attract more women to return to the labour market either to continue with their careers or through training them with new skills.

While it appears evident that many of these measures are becoming increasingly successful, Malta remains at the bottom in terms of employment rate among the 27 EU member states.

On the political front, women have even bigger challenges ahead of them. Once again, I remind you that women remain grossly misrepresented in Parliament when one considers that we only have six female MPs, a representation of less than 10 per cent of the Chamber.

The situation is none the rosier on the corporate front with only three per cent of board directors being women. Recent studies have also revealed that there is a 25 per cent gap between the average wages of male and female employees with the former outstripping the latter in earnings!

In the meantime, it would be safe to say that the gender equality process is at best stalling.

I must admit I have mixed feelings on the quota business and my ambivalence stems from personal experience. In a sense, I can attest that female quotas can sometimes actually boost political progress. At a particular juncture of my political life, positive discrimination did in fact boost my political presence and this helped energise my efforts and encouraged me to double my output.

Concurrently, I believe that quotas are not the beginning and end all for a lasting gender equilibrium. As women we must understand that gender cannot be the single factor that determines the outcome of the whole argument. It will be ultimately up to us women to prove our mettle with coherent strategies and willingness to participate actively in the political process that will ensure female success in the political sphere.

This has to be achieved on a party, community and district level. Only in such a way will women ultimately increase their presence at a parliamentary level that would ensure a fairer and more realistic picture of the nation’s challenges and aspirations, be they male or female.

Maltese women were granted the right to vote in 1947. Since then, society has transformed itself almost beyond recognition. So has the role of women recalibrated as a wife, mother and bread winner.

Clearly, it is time for women to participate more effectively in the political debate. There are many examples that prove that women can be successful and effective in politics. Although in a clear minority, these women have achieved a lot in party politics, local councils and in Parliament.

Really and truly, the best way forward is for more women to actively participate. There is surely no excuse for lack of this participation at a party level as evidenced by the continuous attempts by political parties to encourage female participation and which, overall, remains sadly lacking. The recently published document by the Nationalist Party, Our Roots, underlines this fact.

The document highlights the need for an increased effort towards a fairer distribution of leadership roles among the sexes. It suggests a heightened effort to introduce positive measures that will boost the presence of women both in the political and public life of the nation.

It is only in this manner that fairness and a realistic representation will be achieved. In a sense, I believe there is a broad consensus on the issue of gender equality. What remains is that from words we now pass on to effective action!

info@carolinegalea.com

The author sits on the executive committee of the Nationalist Party