From childcare centres and better maternity leave to longer opening hours for grocers, a number of factors have helped to raise the female participation rate to 53.8 per cent in 2015 – but that was still 4.9 percentage points below the EU average. The Business Observer asked female leaders to name one thing that could support this upward trajectory.
President Marie Louise Coleiro-Preca
While we are proud there have been beneficial developments in the role of Maltese women in the workforce, there is still much that must be done. The increase in the number of women in the workforce is encouraging, as a result of focused policies by our authorities including the provision of free childcare, which was a catalyst. This is proof that when there is political will and determination, things do change. We need more political will and determination.
However, Malta’s score in the political and business world is only 28.2 per cent according to data from the EU’s European Gender Equality index. Only five per cent of board members are occupied by women in the large listed companies in Malta, while the EU average is 23.3 per cent. Women in top positions like CEOs, in Malta’s top 20 largest government corporations and agencies, has gone down, from 29 per cent in 2012 to 16 per cent in 2014.
There is a silver lining in the form of education. While the overall female employment rate in Malta is 53 per cent (according to the EU’s Labour Force Survey, 2016) data from this year’s Eurostat tells us that the employment rate of young female graduates, aged between 25-29, is 94 per cent.
We must continue to encourage and support active educational opportunities for our women and our girls. The effect of women’s full participation in the workplace and business sectors means that the country will reach its utmost potential, which will have an impact on the reduction of poverty and the tensions it creates in society while also enhancing the prosperity of Malta.
Women’s perspectives create a more holistic and innovative environment for success, both on a national and international stage. This is another impetus for the sustainability of our competitiveness as a country.
Elena Grech, head of the EC Representation
Greater facilities which allow for a better personal life and work balance go a long way to encourage more women to follow studies, professional careers and to work outside the home. With the female population at the University of Malta having surpassed 50 per cent, and in which the country is investing a lot in terms of education, it is definitely not an option to have all these ladies choosing to follow a career and postponing or renouncing to their right to have a family.
It is, however, telling of the predominant cultural mindset that, whenever one talks of family-friendly measures, it is usually women who come to mind. Happily, this is slowly changing and the Maltese percentage of working women has increased considerably, although there is still a lot more that needs to be done.
To be fair, this mentality is not limited to the stereotypical Southern European countries: I believe that the vast majority of women across the world would naturally like to have the opportunity to stay at home to look after their kids for more than the period of maternity leave allows. The difference is that in countries further north women have a freer choice and also support to go through with their decision – it is okay if they want to stay at home to be full time mothers until their children go to school if they want to (national social security systems allow them to do so), but it is equally okay if they want to go back to their full-time jobs after three months and leave their children at childcare facilities, which remain open as long as the average working hours require.
Certainly longer school hours, late shopping possibilities, greater flexibility in terms of working conditions, as well as equal pay and career advancement opportunities would make it easier for women to go out to work.
However, the biggest change needs to come from within. Women have the right to feel fully empowered and free to choose their own way in life without feeling judged either way.
US Ambassador G. Kathleen Hill
Mentoring and portraying positive role models are crucial to increasing female participation at all levels of society.
We have a duty to educate our youth – male and female – about the importance of inclusion, equal opportunities, and equal partnerships between men and women. We owe it to future generations.
Political and economic leaders, educators, and parents must speak with one voice to break down gender stereotypes definitively. Boys should be free to hang out in the kitchen and girls should be free to play with toy cars and trains.
The message we send to our girls and boys will shape their vision of the future. Gender should not define us the way it has historically, and children should not feel pressure to conform to traditional gender roles or behaviours.
Last week, I participated in the mentoring and careers day organised by Business Professional and Women (BPW Malta). I was delighted to interact with the future generation of women – hard-working, intelligent, determined go-getters who will change the dynamics of society in general in the not too distant future.
Pairing girls with successful women who did not allow gender to define them is sure to inspire the girls to achieve their full potential and make the motto “I will succeed because I deserve to” a reality.
Amanda Nelson, CEO – Vodafone Malta
Flexible working and making part-time opportunities is key – but more than that. Employers need to believe in their female workers and that they can handle responsible, managerial positions while balancing that with their family commitments, especially for ladies returning to work after taking a maternity leave break.
Often these women take smaller, or less responsible roles because they think it will make life easier, or their company doesn’t want to give responsibility to people who are not constantly “in the office”. This is a big shame. It’s a huge sacrifice to return to work after having a child and compromises have to be made – however, I’ve always felt that if you’re going to make that sacrifice, you might as well do it for a role and a career that’s worthwhile.
I had four maternity leaves at Vodafone and was very supported to return to bigger and bigger managerial roles, helped with the option to work flexibly and spend some days working from home. I often hear of employers using a woman working reduced hours as an excuse for not giving responsibility or a promotion. And even the ladies themselves “self-select themselves out” of interesting, developmental roles because they think it’s the right thing. Often they do it without even talking to their employer first to see what support may be available to help them.
We need leaders and line managers in organisations to recognise the hugely valuable contribution women working part-time or flexibly can make. And we need women to step up and ask their employers for those interesting, developmental roles and not take a step back.
If we can get this balance and support women to keep growing their careers at this critical stage, business will have much more balanced and diverse (and female!) leaders in the future. Vodafone is an employer that’s committed to this – I wouldn’t have four children and be a CEO aged 40 if that weren’t the case!
68,298
Number of women working, out of a total workforce of 182,052
September 2016
53.8%
Female activity rate, up from 44.7% in 2011
December 2015
65.8%
Female activity rate (aged 25-54)
December 2015
10.6%
Gender pay gap
December 2014