My grandmother was born in 1908 in Vittoriosa. A woman of great fortitude but with limited formal education, she was the quintessential matriarch, raising not only her family but stepping in to provide maternal support to nephews, nieces and neighbours alike.
She was the backbone of the family and relished her role as home maker. And, yet, she was very conscious of the fact that her life path was dictated by what was considered to be ‘normal’ for a woman of her day and she constantly encouraged her three daughters to pursue a good education.
Women of her time were no stranger to hard work in the home, in the fields and wherever they were needed but the work was generally of a manual nature and uncompensated. In typical convention for the time, my mother and her sisters did their best at their studies, striving to land a good job as a teacher, a nurse or a clerk in a bank or government department.
Those were the best options at the time for any up and coming girl who would try to make the best of it for as long as she could since her career prospects would probably come to an abrupt halt as soon as she decided to get married.
As Malta nears closer to celebrating 50 years of independence, I cannot help but go over the historical milestones that have helped women in Malta achieve so many rights in the past 50 years.
Striking the right balance will never be easy in a society justifiably resolute on championing family unanimity
Looking back, one wonders how certain situations were tolerated and the change that women have experienced in the home, on the workplace and in society in general is testament to those who have tirelessly worked to see a shift not only in mentality but also in legislation and support networks.
I would venture to say that the change for women in Malta began in 1947 with the granting of the right to vote and the right to stand for election. Since then, it has been a constant challenge for the major political parties and not a few determined women to overturn a strong gender imbalance in all sectors of Maltese life.
Changing the concept of the role of the woman in a society deeply rooted in tradition and religious practice was never going to be a pushover and, yet, in the past 50 years, changes implemented by successive administrations have left a dramatic effect.
The introduction of mandatory schooling heralded a new era for education which, subsequently, led to a myriad of opportunities in the employment sector.
This access to education as a gateway to well-paid jobs and further career prospects is a far cry from the day when women faced job restrictions, did not have rights over their earnings and had to allow their husbands complete autonomy over the administration of the family finances.
Changes in legislation, especially over the right of matrimonial property, have empowered women and provided a degree of independence. This sense of independence flooded other areas as women silently but tirelessly urged policymakers to embrace and adopt family-friendly ideas to help them achieve a sensible life and work balance.
Every female, from the President down, is all too aware of the struggle to successfully achieve this balance and, yet, in doing so we must be appreciative of the long years of work that have gone into being able to provide us all with access to free education, maternity benefits, family-friendly work measures, free women’s health, free childcare and support structures for our elderly.
These have all contributed to the emancipation of the Maltese woman and have offered her the possibility to climb the career ladder, help build the nation’s progress and strengthen the economy while ensuring that her family still enjoys the nurturing attention of a wife, mother and sister.
Fifty years down the line and our tertiary institutions and specialised work sectors are now definitely no strangers to women.
And, yet, despite these colossal efforts and achievements, we are still surrounded by women struggling in underpaid jobs and facing gender discrimination on the work place.
Others opting to be stay-at-home mums or carers to elderly relatives may be doing so with a whopping dose of love and goodwill while forfeiting the chance to be financially independent.
Striking the right balance will never be easy in a society justifiably resolute on championing family unanimity. It is in this sense that we must all remain active to ensure that the achievements in gender equality of the past 50 years are not only consolidated but further strengthened.
Malta achieving independence 50 years ago was a singularly historic moment for our country. But it did not stop there; today, Malta is a modern country, a member state of the European Union enjoying democracy and liberty and we are justifiably proud of this.
In the words of Virginia Woolf, “... as a woman my country is the whole world”.
info@carolinegalea.com
Caroline Galea is vice president of the, Nationalist Party’s Women’s Movement