Only 19.6 per cent of the self-employed in Malta in 2013 were women, the lowest rate in the European Union, according to a recent report, a far cry from the one-third average for the EU as a whole.

The highest rate was in Lithuania (41.6 per cent), followed by Latvia (38 per cent) and Luxembourg (40.3 per cent).

Malta has a slightly lower level of self-employment than the EU to start with, just 12 per cent compared to the EU average of 16 per cent. And the educational levels of entrepreneurs differ from those in the EU, with three times as many Maltese having low levels of schooling as the EU’s 20 per cent average.

The European Commission report noted that socio-cultural factors – such as gender stereotyping – have an adverse effect on women’s opportunities and choice to become self-employed, while the strong male orientation of business networks can also hold women back. In the UK, reports show that women also often face less favourable credit terms than men when starting a business.

There is also a marked difference between women and men when it comes to part-time work. In the EU, females find it a much more suitable model, with a third working part time (Malta: 28.8 per cent) compared to one man in 10.

Having said all this, although the gender gap in Malta is definitely shrinking, motherhood remains a major determining factor. There is a 15 percentage point difference between the employment rates of women with children aged under six and women with no children, and a 40 percentage point gap with men who have children aged under six (see chart above).

A Eurofound study in 2014 gave important insight into what is holding women back: it said that an overwhelming majority of mothers would be willing to work if they could better choose their working hours. More than half of the inactive mothers prefer to work part-time while most mothers and almost half of the fathers in full-time jobs would like to work fewer hours.

Single mothers, on the other hand, would prefer to increase their working hours. A single mother needs to earn an above-average full-time wage if she wants to achieve a 50 per cent increase in the family income.

Name: Kay Vella

Company: Spot On Connections

Designation: Head of recruitment

Women in workforce: 90%

Females at decision-making level: 80%

Are some sectors harder for women to break into than others?

It might have been the case a decade ago, but in recent years there is a big increase in the demand for specific approaches, mind sets and team fit, rather than gender.

How does a woman’s management/leadership style differ to a man’s?

There are many different management styles – coaching and developing, a firmer commanding approach, strategic internal promotions to increase loyalty and commitment levels – but I don’t feel these styles are limited to one gender or another.

Does your company offer family-friendly measures?

We are a very family-oriented business. We are flexible when it comes to ensuring our team has the right support and measures in place in order to have that work/home life balance. Many of our employees enjoy the opportunity to work from home, reduced hours and we even have plans in the pipeline to offer crèche facilities to our staff.

Name: Deborah Schembri

Company: STM Malta Trust and Company Management Ltd

Designation: Managing director

Women in workforce: 60%

Females at decision-making level: 50%

Are some sectors harder for women to break into than others?

One would find more male employees working in the primary and secondary sectors. The distribution of responsibilities and resources between men and women are socially determined, and can be changed through conscious social action, including appropriate policies for gender equality and well-designed development projects to help close the gender gap.

How does a woman’s management/leadership style differ to a man’s?

I do not think that there is a difference in leadership style by gender. Leadership can and should be situational, depending on the needs of the company and the team. A leader should choose a leadership style with a calculated analysis of the matter at hand, the end goal and the best tool for the job.

Making gender diversity a business priority can lead to financial benefits and help a company realise its full potential.

STM Malta operates in the international pensions industry which is a young industry locally. Thus I also have the opportunity to contribute with other stakeholders in shaping the pensions industry in Malta.

Name: Danica Fava

Company: Outdoor Living

Designation: Managing director

Women in workforce: 60%

Females at decision-making level: 50%

Are some sectors harder for women to break into than others?

Though there are some sectors that are still male or female dominated, this is continuously changing. I believe that if a woman is determined and committed she can work in any sector she likes. Rather than sectors, I feel for women it’s more challenging to reach high positions in an organisation.

In the last century we have seen great progress in women’s advancement in the workplace. However, there are still barriers – in society and corporate settings – that prevent women reaching top-level management positions.

How does a woman’s management/leadership style differ to a man’s?

Though it all depends on the character of the person, women tend to be more caring and intuitive. When it comes to decision-making, women tend to adopt a more participative approach and are also more collaborative. As women we try to achieve a win-win situation, rather than just look at things as we want them.

Does your company offer family-friendly measures?

We all work on flexible hours so everyone can set his work timings according to his lifestyle whether it’s gym, sports or family. We also offer the possibility to do certain work from home.

Name: Fleur Camilleri

Company: Antonio’s Barber Shop

Designation: Managing partner

Women in workforce: 30%

Females at decision-making level: 10%

Are some sectors harder for women to break into than others?

I do believe that some sectors are harder to break into than others, but when a women is determined to reach her goal, nothing will stand in her way!

How does a woman’s management/ leadership style differ to a man’s?

There are good managers and leaders in both genders. Our President is a woman and an inspiration to all Maltese women. It’s who you are and your capabilities and not your gender.

Does your company offer family-friendly measures?

Yes, we do offer family-friendly measures. I have a big family of my own and believe that both husband and wife should share responsibilities, therefore this will effect females and males in a work place. I strongly agree with the new measures.

Name: Emma Diacono

Company: Emma Diacono Ltd

Designation: Director

Are some sectors harder for women to break into than others?

There are two sides to the ‘self employed coin’ for want of better words – on the one side there is the added flexibility and the challenge of starting up something and working for yourself, on the other hand there is the lack of security and comfort of knowing that you have a secure wage as you would when employed.

For some, this lack of security is simply a no-go.

The cost of living here in Malta is increasing, or many say we simply want more!

Whatever the reason, for many the security of a known salary is not ‘nice to have’ but a necessity and in some cases being self-employed does not provide that tick in the box – especially in the early days as the business needs time to establish itself.

You also never really get time off as a self-employed person – it’s your own time and business today does not wait for anyone!

On the other hand, I think we can see an increase in entrepreneurship and many youngsters wanting to make their own mark.

I would say this is even more true of the newer generation than it is of mine. So yes, I would expect to see the number of self-employed women increase.

Another factor that in my opinion contributes to this is when a woman wants to continue to pursue her career and build a family.

I feel that only a few companies offer ‘real’ flexibility and family-friendly measures and in general, as a nation, I believe we have a way to go as yet in terms of flexibility in employment.

For this reason, many women look to start up on their own.

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