[WATCH] Directory of qualified women would ‘narrow’ gender gap in top positions
Women agree quotas are a necessarily evil, required to fight the inequality in top positions.
An updated directory of qualified women in the making was necessary to narrow the gender gap in top positions as well as secure gender balance in decision-making posts.
A heavily male-dominated policymaking sector, this is even felt among the members who sit on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD) where the absolute majority are men.
On the other hand, a reflection of how society looks at women, 50% of women in top positions work in the social sector.
Addressing a seminar organised by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE) on gender equality to celebrate International Women's Day, Equal Opportunities Minister Helena Dalli urged the NCPE to finalise the database.
The database will me made up of female professionals who could serve in decision-making posts, both government and private sector.
"This directory will facilitate access to female professionals as it will give visibility to women competent in their fields and enhance their opportunities," she said, adding that members of the MCESD should push to send more female representatives.
The minister said the government was doing its part in facilitating more women to join the workforce, but such incentives were useless without a change in mentality.
"It's also about how we bring up our children and the fathers' involvement in this. Men should also roll up their sleeves in house chores," Dalli said.
Dalli warned that equality came with progress, and domestic violence hindered this progress: "Preventing and combating violence is what places us a stop closer to equality. That is why it is important that different governments build on one another as we strive to changes on both a legal and cultural level."
The minister announced that this week, the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency will be launching a study in Malta on domestic violence. A preview of the study, during which 42,000 women interviewed, reconfirmed that the majority of violent abuse victims are women.
The seminar, attended mostly by women, also garnered support for the European Commission's proposal in favour of gender quotas. The law, pushed by EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding, seeks to have 40% of all boards for companies listed on the stock exchange made up of women by 2020.
In Malta, this law is being regarded as a necessary evil.
Although against quotas, Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi said she voted in favour of the Reding report citing equality and opportunities which the report was based on.
"At first I was a bit wary of it, as I am against quotas. However, this report does not even mention quotas but talks about equality, opportunities and under-represented sectors in which certain cases could even be men," she said.
Likewise, PL candidate for the EP elections Miriam Dalli admitted that quotas have been given a negative connotation. "This proposed law should be seen as giving space for women... it's not about tokenism but on placing women on a par with men. Unfortunately, youngsters do not have many female role models to look up to," she said.
Dalli also rebuffed suggestions that women should vote for female candidates just because 'women have to support women': "The electorate should vote for a candidate because they believe in the capabilities of that candidate."
A businesswoman her entire life, PN candidate Helga Ellul called for the setting up of day schools.
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