I dare say that the ending of this week’s contribution is written with a slight tongue in cheek. Still, I believe that the issue I write about – women’s role in the labour market and in the economy in general – needs to be taken seriously.

The results of the last Labour Force Survey for Malta were published this week. They show once more that the average annual basic salary for males is higher than that of females.

For the period January-March 2017, the average basic annual salary for males was €19,221 while for females it was €16,367. The national average is €18,029.

Compared to the same period a year ago, the average basic annual salary for males increased by 4.9 per cent while that for females increased by six per cent. This signifies a narrowing of the gap, confirmed by the fact that in 2016 the average basic annual salary for females was 83.7 per cent of that of males, while in 2017 it was 86.5 per cent.

It is to be noted that salaries for females are lower than those of males across all occupations and economic activities. There are some occupations where the gap has narrowed considerably, such as in the clerical support services, plant and  occupation and in the plant and machine operators occupation.

On the other hand, there are other occupations where the gap remains wide. For example, in the category of professionals, the average basic annual salary for females is 85.8 per cent of that of males. This would look even more surprising (or damning) when one considers that jobs in the professional category are essentially knowledge-based jobs and, as such, a gender pay gap would be less explicable.

Salaries for females are lower than those of males across all occupations and economic activities

Also this week, Pope Francis stated that in the labour market women are still considered as second class, irrespective of examples of individual women who have made it to the top.

He said that women earn less for the same job and are more easily exploited.

Yet, if we remain focused on Malta, we need to realise that the growth in employment is mainly due to women. Two-thirds of the increase in full-time jobs in Malta over a 12-month period is due to women.

The female participation rate is now firmly above the 50 per cent threshold, which was a mirage just 30 years ago and is now at 53 per cent.

Taking a long-term view, total employment in Malta increased by 25 per cent between 2007 and 2017. Female employment increased by more than double, namely by 53 per cent, while 67 per cent of the increase in total employment is attributable to the increase in female employment.

Yet the gender pay gap today is very similar to what it was 10 years ago. The average basic annual salary for females was 84.8 per cent of that of males in the first quarter of 2007. This is in spite of the fact that there is legislation that seeks to enforce the principle of equal pay for equal work.

So females are participating more in Malta’s labour force but in terms of wages are not getting much increased benefit. The general situation is also evident when one looks at the number of females filling senior management positions or the number of females who are members of boards of directors. This has also been mentioned in relation to the political sphere.

There have been proposals of imposing quotas to enlarge female participation in certain spheres. I understand that these proposals have been put forward in good faith but I have my doubts as to whether they will be effective. If the legislation stipulating equal pay for equal work has not worked, why would imposing quotas for female participation work?

What we require is a change in attitude. The role of women in the labour market and the economy in general will become fully recognised not thanks to any legislation but when our mentality changes. To paraphrase Pope Francis, this will happen when males no longer consider females and, I dare say females no longer consider themselves, as being second class citizens.

I rarely write about the organisation I lead, Misco. However, I feel very strongly about this point. The three persons who head the three different units of the organisation are females and I do not regret one bit that this decision was taken.

The situation of women in the Maltese labour market reminds me of the Greek comedy Lysistrata, where women take on the extraordinary mission to end the Peloponnesian War by denying all the men of the land any sex, which was the only thing they truly and deeply desired.

Maybe in our economic relations we have grown too much accustomed to the concept of ‘you give me this and I give you that’. We find no difficulty in excluding others in our economic relations but find difficulty in adopting an inclusive attitude. And it is this inclusive attitude which will really change the position of women in our economy, something which I dare say women find easier to do than men.