Teachers should use gender neutral communication when they speak to children, the government proposed.

The proposal is part of a working document on guidelines to increase and retain women in the ICT sector by the eSkills foundation and endorsed by the Equality Ministry and the Parliamentary Secretariat for Digital Innovation.

Many teachers begin gender stereotyping the young unconsciously, the document said, noting that teachers should suppress widespread stereotypes.

Adverts for recruitment must also be gender-neutral. The wording in recruitment adverts such as the "ability to meet aggressive deadlines", "willingness to proactively lead managing tasks", "eager individual", might not be inviting to some women, it said.

The working document also proposes that the creation of “computer clubs for girls”.

“Not everyone may agree with this concept because this may give the impression that girls are being treated differently from boys,” the document noted, adding that the initiative simply sought to boost girl participation.

The document insisted that labour laws offered equal treatment, benefits and opportunities for women in ICT. It also called for a change of mind-set within management, saying that human resource companies could not only act when they were informed of infringements.

ICT organisations had to strive to have an interview panel with members from both genders to “minimise the effect of unconscious bias,” the document said.

Speaking during a debate held at the Malta Information Technology Agency during the launch of the document, Parliamentary Secretary for Digital Innovation Silvio Schembri said quotas in the ICT sector were a “necessary evil”.

Drastic temporary compulsory measures may be necessary, Mr Schembri said.

The investment the government was making in including women in ICT was not bearing enough fruit, he added.

Equality Minister Helena Dalli said more family-friendly measures were needed, and women needed to avail themselves of the opportunities presented to them.