I was asked by The Times to reply to a number of questions regarding the inclination for the European Commission to introduce compulsory quotas on corporate boards in order to achieve gender balance. My reply, reported in an article entitled Maltese Businesswomen Reject EU Quotas Plan (March 8), consisted of a single sentence taken from the short reply to the questions and which, although not misquoted, has given the wrong impression of my opinion.

While I appreciate that my reply could not have been reproduced in full, once my opinion, as reported, could have been misinterpreted, it is only fair to have it reproduced as given.

This is what I said:

I have always taken a stand against quotas because I believe that posts should be occupied by people who merit the position through their qualifications/capabilities and/or experience, irrespective of their gender. I also believe that mixed gender representation in any group of people will deliver better results – whether at government or corporate level. This is because men and women have innate different skills on how to deal with situations and problems and both their skills are important contributions to the end result.

Unfortunately, notwithstanding being in the 21st century, Malta is still trailing in this regard, basically on all fronts, including presence on corporate boards. Therefore, although I will remain in principle against giving people a position on the basis of gender, should this be the only solution to increase women’s participation on boards, so be it.

However, I still maintain this can backfire on women in general because should the woman given the post fail to perform (just like many men do not perform) her failure will be attributed to her gender rather than to her own personal capabilities. Unfairly enough, this does not happen in the case of men and this is a risk women will have to be aware of when accepting the principle of quotas.

Also, I dread to think of the psychological state of those women who, aware of their real capabilities and potential, know they have been given a post due to their gender rather than due to respect and belief in their capabilities. I would personally find it difficult to accept a position if I am convinced it is being offered to me to satisfy quota requirements. It is like accepting a situation where the value of one’s qualifications, capabilities and experience are based on whether one wears a bra or not!

This is the opinion I have always had on the matter and what stands to date.