VOICE OF THE
WORKERS ISSUE 09 MARCH 2014
EDITOR’S NOTE JOSEF VELLA
Contents The art of the possible
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A woman moving forward
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MEP female candidates respond to our questions
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The keys to gender equality 10
Participation of women in the labour market Welcome to Issue number 9 of the Voice of the Worker e-magazine. A lot is said about issues regarding the participation of women in the labour market, work-family balance, and the challenges faced by women in today’s society. This time, apart from contributions by MCESD, MEUSAC and the CIA Brussels Office, we decided to learn at first hand. We have an interview with UHM’s latest recruit Isabelle Farrugia, who is the Secretary of the Education, Culture and Recreation Section. We also asked female candidates for the next MEP elections in May a number of questions. We are featuring responses from those who took VOICE OF THE
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Breaking the glass ceiling 11 On the EU agenda 12
an interest in communicating the answers to us. We hope their responses will enable you to get to know them better and evaluate their opinions. UHM has always been a keen supporter of gender equality. It was an important stakeholder representing Public Sector workers when it came to family friendly measures in the public service. Moreover, UHM’s Jobs+ initiatives, together with Malta’s social partners, is already reaping fruit with regards to gender issues at work. UHM is also steadily increasing women’s contribution in the decision-making levels of the organization. With the right attitudes, we know we can make a difference. Enjoy!
I ask her what this section comprises. She pulls out a list of places of work from her notebook and reads them out. That list seems endless. I ask her how she manages to fit all of them in her schedule. She smiles and tells me it is all about working smart and managing your time well. READ MORE ON PAGE 3 1
The art of the possible There are many challenges that stand in the way of gender equality in Malta. However, these challenges can really be tackled if the basis of what we do is education and awareness. With increasing and enhanced roles for women in Maltese society, we all stand to gain. To make this work, we all have to think outside the box, and move out of our comfort zones. We can do much more to facilitate women’s participation in the labour market and in decision making levels. All we need is the right attitudes, and the will to master the art of the possible. VOICE OF THE
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ISABELLE FARRUGIA INTERVIEWED BY JOHN MALLIA
A woman moving forward ISABELLE WAS ATTENDING A SEMINAR AND MANAGED TO FINISH FIFTEEN MINUTES EARLY. SHE PHONED TO ASK IF SHE COULD COME TO THE INTERVIEW EARLIER THAN PLANNED. THAT WOULD GIVE HER SOME MORE TIME TO CATCH UP ON HER SCHEDULE. Isabelle is UHM’s latest recruit in the team. She is Secretary of the Education, Culture and Recreation Section. I ask her what this section comprises. She pulls out a list of places of work from her notebook and reads them out. That list seems endless. I ask her how she manages to fit all of them in her schedule. She smiles and tells me it is all about working smart and managing your time well. I ask her whether she has settled in her new role. She replies in the affirmative, and states that although the role is a continuous learning experience, it’s the attitude that counts. Trade union leadership in Malta is traditionally a male domain. I ask her whether the environment is welcoming to women. Isabelle replies that it all boils down to the person, and whether that person really feels comfortable with what she or he wants to do. She feels comfortable with her job, and that is what really matters. It is true that this line of work is dominated by males. One of the reasons could be the working hours and level of commitment involved. “Even if initially, some people might be skeptical at seeing a woman union section secretary, this wears off quickly as soon as they get to know you and start working with you. Once you prove yourself, the initial skepticism melts away.” VOICE OF THE
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I turn to the challenges being faced by women in Malta today. Isabelle lists the issue of mothers wanting to work but find problems relating to childcare. There are some parents who leave their children with their grandparents. However, even this is becoming a problem as a growing number of grandparents today are still keeping active well beyond retirement age. This issue is being addressed through the childcare programme that was recently launched. Another challenge Isabelle mentions is the aspect of working conditions and working times. Some women would like to work in places that offer flexibility, such as by teleworking, reduced hours or
flexihours. Although some places of work do offer these facilities, a lot of others don’t. This is a stumbling block for many women who would like to work but would also need to balance their work with their family commitments. Isabelle believes that the major challenge being faced by women in Malta today is to achieve this work-family balance. I ask her whether this issue also affects men. Isabelle states that the culture is slowly but surely changing to a state where men are increasingly becoming more involved in family life, and these issues are also becoming a male issue as well. This can also prove an effective catalyst for change. Cultures need to change, and 3
changes in culture and traditions come gradually. In the field of women’s rights, things are changing. However, a lot more needs to be done. One of the indicative places of this rate of change is the House of Representatives. The percentage of female members of parliament is still very low compared to our European counterparts. Having said that, the working hours of Parliamentarians is hardly family friendly. This trend is also prevalent in management positions. Isabelle is adamant that these issues need to be dealt
successful as a result of collective bargaining. Both employers and employees need to really believe in their benefits. Naturally, there are workplaces where teleworking cannot be an option. So although family-friendly measures are beneficial, they cannot be applied across board. However, in most cases where this is possible, there is still a fair amount of resistance. For family friendly measures to become more mainstream, there has to be more trust-building between employer and employee. This trust breeds empowerment, motivation, and at the end of the day, a better quality product or
discrimination and states that there are so many valid women out there who need to be given a chance, that that the danger of employing a person on the basis of gender rather than on the basis of validity is offset by the long-term benefits . Such a measure could open doors to more women in decision-making, and could contribute to eventually making gender balance a normal occurance in the future, without the need for any intervention. I ask Isabelle on her ideas as to what needs to be done to enhance women’s role in the labour market and in society in
“For family friendly measures to become more mainstream, there has to be more trust-building between employer and employee” with through awareness building and education. Naturally, there are also cultural issues on the part of women themselves. Isabelle thinks that there are still a substantial amount of women who might be unwilling to stand out of their comfort zone and stand up to be counted. There is more than one solution to address these issues. However, the most important building block is education. The public sector has been a trend-setter in the implementation of family-friendly measures. I ask Isabelle whether family friendly measures can logistically be problematic, especially in the private sector. Isabelle is quick to point out that even here, there is an issue of culture. Even in the public sector where family-friendly measures are in place, the culture in its favour is still lacking. These measures should not just be VOICE OF THE
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service. Isabelle believes that if given more trust, employees can deliver more in the long run. Being at work does not necessarily mean better productivity, just as working from home does not necessarily mean that less work is done. At this point, Isabelle provides other indirect benefits of telework and flexible hours. One of them is environmental. Less travel means less cars on the road, less traffic jams, and therefore less traffic pollution on our already cloggedup roads. From her experience both within the union, as well as throughout her working life, Isabelle believes that more can be done if we are willing to move out of our comfort zone. Today, technology is widespread and advanced. This technology can really be used for more efficient, networked and family-friendly ways of working. Isabelle agrees with positive
general. She keeps harping on the same word: education. It is the biggest investment one can ever do. She is happy that the UHM is putting this into practice by means of initiatives such as Jobs+ as well as the Voice of the Workers Project. I ask Isabelle one last question. On a zero to 100 percent satisfaction scale, where does she put her activity as Section Secretary at UHM? Her answer is in her eyes. They sparkle. Her verbal answer is no less. “100%”, she quips, “this work gives me loads of satisfaction. It gives me the possibility to make a difference in other people’s lives. You can help people see the bigger picture, and be their voice when they need it. I believe that a modern trade union needs to evolve from confrontation to effective and constructive dialogue between stakeholders, based on mutual respect. This is what effectively attracted me to UHM”. 4
MEP female candidates respond to our questions HELGA ELLUL
What challenges do Maltese women face compared to their European counterparts? Though initiatives to secure a better work-life balance have been implemented locally, there is still much more to be done. Essentially, however, the problem we face is one of mentality. Undoubtedly, our traditional family model has held back highly skilled females from embracing a career plus a family. We need to encourage our young men and women to enter into new family responsibilities as equal partners. The necessary facilities and appropriate structures, such as child care facilities and caring for older family members, need to be well in place. We need to convince employers that flexibility and providing innovative work arrangements can be beneficial to both business and employee. How can MEP’s contribute to an increased/enhanced role of women in Maltese society? An MEP can work at achieving this objective on two levels. At a European level, an MEP can work towards enhancing EU legislation to ensure that more women are able to join and remain in the workforce, ensuring equality in the treatment of working women and men, as well as the implementation of supplementary measures to improve the work-life balance of all workers, irrespective of gender. At a local level, an MEP can work towards ensuring that VOICE OF THE
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such EU legislation is adopted and implemented efficiently and effectively in Malta.
leave behind a trail of unfulfilled dreams, lost opportunities and broken lives.
What are the major milestones do you think we need to achieve locally that will open the field further towards more self-actualised women in Malta? Today we should be talking about how society - the state, the family, the educational system - can ensure that every individual can fulfill his or her potential, irrespective of gender. We should be reflecting about the way society prepares and empowers the individual to evaluate and decide on one’s future, and to acquire the resources necessary to make one’s life project a success. When society succeeds in this regard, it will reap the benefits. Failure, on the other hand, will
What, do you think, should be the attributes of an ideal MEP? Ultimately, an MEP should utilise her experience and skills to the benefit of her constituents. Thus, in my case I can utilise my extensive experience in manufacturing, HR management and business strategy, for your benefit. An MEP also requires the skills necessary to debate and negotiate successfully on issues that matter to you. One’s capability to contribute to Parliamentary committees, in my case those which focus on business, innovation and employment, is also very important. Finally, a successful MEP needs to be a firm believer in working relationships and negotiations. 5
MEP FEMALE CANDIDATES RESPOND TO OUR QUESTIONS
ROBERTA METSOLA What challenges do Maltese women face compared to their European counterparts? Malta is one of the Member States with the highest representation of women in the European Parliament (50%). This is not to say that we can rest on our laurels. Although we have seen time and again statistics showing that women continue education at a higher rate than males, this is not reflected either in the workplace or in our political class. More worrying is that we have seen figures showing that women are still being paid less than men for the same work. These are issues that we must tackle. We need to ensure that there is an equal playing field for women everywhere. I am a firm believer in incentives rather than strict regulation as a means to reach this goal. How can MEPs contribute to an increased/enhanced role of women in Maltese society? Nearly 80% of all laws passed in Malta’s Parliament would have previously been discussed by MEPs in the European Parliament. These include issues such as parental leave, the working time directive, rights of workers, gender equality and other areas that all have a lasting impact on Maltese nationals. As a woman I will not ask for any special treatment, I just want what is fair and equal. In other words I should be treated no differently to a man with the same qualifications and merits as me and the European Parliament is at the forefront of pushing this agenda forward.
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What are the major milestones do you think we need to achieve locally that will open the field further towards more self-actualised women in Malta? Following the record number of ten women being elected to the Maltese parliament at the last general election, we finally erased the unenviable label of being the only EU Member State not to have female Members of the European Parliament. The discussions on the lack or shortage of female representation now needs to shift and focus on what is needed in order for Malta to have the best representation possible, irrespective of gender. I am often asked whether politics is the place for a mother. It is. It is perhaps harder to balance different commitments and requires some forward planning and organisation. But, despite the obvious practical difficulties, and an excellent calendar application, my answer is always invariably yes. Of course it is not easy to be away from my family when on parliamentary duty in Brussels, Strasbourg and
Malta but I am determined to be a role model for my children and show them that if they believe in something and work hard enough for it, they can achieve anything. Luckily my husband and I manage to balance our work and family responsibilities. But I recognise that not every job allows for this balance to exist and there are a number of concrete initiatives that we can take within the European Parliament, as well as incentives we can grant on a national level, to address this and make it easier for families. What, do you think, should be the attributes of an ideal MEP? As a Member of the European Parliament I know how difficult the job can be. The most important thing I have found is to listen to the people you represent and act accordingly in the interests of Maltese and Gozitan citizens. The time that I have spent representing Malta and Gozo within the European Parliament, have been dominated by tough negotiations on different dossiers and legislation on issues 6
MEP FEMALE CANDIDATES RESPOND TO OUR QUESTIONS
ranging from online gaming, consumer protection, digital agenda and financial services to discrimination, asylum & immigration, working conditions, social rights and the protection of fundamental rights. Every one of these dossiers meant that I spent hours poring over
MARLENE MIZZI What challenges do Maltese women face compared to their European counterparts? Personally I do not find any challenges particular to women. The problems Maltese women face are basically the same which most European women face - gender pay gaps, slow entry into the decision making roles, and juggling a family and a career.! Having to juggle a career with raisin a family. However, in the end , challenges are there for everyone, and it is up to each and every one of us to turn these challenges into opportunities. As women’s we tend to adapt to circumstances and can multitask well. How can MEP’s contribute to an increased/enhanced role of women in Maltese society? I am very proud to have been elected as the first Maltese woman MEP and hope, that this is an inspiration ad encouragement to other women to enter politics. As women MEPs we have opened the door for those who aspire to a political calling serving in the European Parliament. Until recently, Malta did not have any women MEPs ; now we are at the 50% mark.
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legal documents paragraph by paragraph to ensure that I am best able to represent the views of all the stakeholders I have met with in Malta on a particular issue. While being an MEP is more than just legal affairs, it is about how best to represent the people who have elected you, so when you
consider that most legislation discussed on a national level passes through the European Parliament, I find my legal background to be of great help in ensuring that the voice of Maltese and Gozitans remains strong at every stage of negotiations on a dossier.
What, do you think, should be the attributes of an ideal MEP? The ideal MEP must be independent minded, capable of being sensitive to local and European issues, must be capable of standing up to be counted irrespective of what others may think, must be a good negotiator , have the interest of her/his country and the citizens when taking decisions and when debating in committees, ideally multilingual. But the most important What are the major milestones characteristic of an MEP is do you think we need to remembering that he/she is achieve locally that will open a member of the European the field further towards more Parliament representing self-actualised women in Malta? 500 million citizens, while Women are still considered the keeping in mind that your homemakers and so women have own constituents have elected to handle both a career and a you as their representative home. The fact that free childcare to be their voice in order to has been introduced means safeguard their interest and that more women can now be make a difference to their well free to seek a job , or continue being. studying to pursue a career. Women must be encouraged to be financially independent from the male and must be given all the “The fact that opportunities to be so. Financial free childcare independence is important , has been introduced because this will go a long way to giving women pride and dignity means that more something that many women lack women can now being dependent on a man for be free to seek a job” their material needs.
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MEP FEMALE CANDIDATES RESPOND TO OUR QUESTIONS
HON DR DEBORAH SCHEMBRI What challenges do Maltese women face compared to their European counterparts? The challenges Maltese women find are partly related to a still prevailing mentality that it is mainly the role of women to take care of children and the needs of the family. Government is now taking measures such as free childcare for working mothers in order to bring more women in the work force but an effort has also to be made in order to make higher administrative positions available to women. Familyfriendly measures at the work place would help women work harder to obtain these positions. How can MEP’s contribute to an increased/enhanced role of women in Maltese society? MEP’s can help by pushing the equality agenda in the various committes of the European Parliament and by speaking out at the various institutions for enhanced co-operation in combatting discrimination and sharing of best practices. Female MEP’s also help compliment this by being good examples of successful workfamily balance achievers.
What are the major milestones do you think we need to achieve locally that will open the field further towards more self-actualised women in Malta? The provision of better familyfriendly measures and the continuation of social and tax incentives certainly helps however I believe that we need to enhance eduaction for that sector of the population who have grown used to women being contributors only through housework or child minding/ rearing. A change in mentality is always the harder to achieve but it is essential at this point.
What, do you think, should be the attributes of an ideal MEP? The attributes of an ideal MEP are the ability to bring arguments to the table with conviction and the capability of bridging the gap between the constituency and parliament. One of the most important things is also the capacity to interact with other fellow MEP’s given that many a time in politics it is a matter of how many people you have on your side, pulling the same rope that matters.
“One of the most important things is also the capacity to interact with other fellow MEP’s given that many a time in politics it is a matter of how many people you have on your side, pulling the same rope that matters”
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MEP FEMALE CANDIDATES RESPOND TO OUR QUESTIONS
FLEUR VELLA What challenges do Maltese women face compared to their European counterparts? My main area of expertise is small businesses thus will concentrate on the challenges faced by woman in this particular sector. When it comes to self employment, 30% of EU27 self employed are females. In Malta only 17% of self employed are females. One must think why it is more difficult for females in Malta to start their own business. I personally believe that balancing work and life is undoubtedly one reason. When you start off a new business its difficult to be sure that one will have a regular and sufficient flow of income to be able to cover child care costs. However, I believe that the free child care services will encourage alot of woman to start their own business. How can MEP’s contribute to an increased/enhanced role of women in Maltese society? MEPs have to explain the specific constraints faced by Maltese woman to their European counterparts so that new legislation will seek to enhance the role of woman in the Maltese society.
What are the major milestones do you think we need to achieve locally that will open the field further towards more self-actualised women in Malta? We have already achieved notable milestones, the most important one being free child care services for working and studying parents. I believe the next milestones are greater equality in the labour market with woman being equally represented as their male counterparts in top management positions.
What, do you think, should be the attributes of an ideal MEP? An ideal MEP is one which understands the concerns and ambitions of the Maltese. It should be someone who is not apologetic towards his or her European counterparts but feels at par with them and will work relentlessly to communicate the special needs and concerns of the Maltese.
“I personally believe that balancing work and life is undoubtedly one reason. When you start off a new business its difficult to be sure that one will have a regular and sufficient flow of income to be able to cover child care costs” VOICE OF THE
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THE KEYS TO GENDER EQUALITY WOMEN ARE ESSENTIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THE ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF OUR SOCIETY. THEY PERFORM CRITICAL ROLES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION IS ESSENTIAL IN THE IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY. There has been major improvement in policies leading to an improvement in female participation in the labour market and more equality among men and women amongst others. Female participation in the labour market in Malta has been relatively lower than the EU average. Figures show that Maltese women still find it difficult to reach a work-life balance. This issue has been recognised by local policy makers and various incentives have been introduced so as to try to alleviate the problem. This is reflected in the improvement of female participation rate in the past years. Fiscal incentives including tax deductions for
returning mothers to work, extension of maternity leave, the introduction of flexi time and the recently launched free childcare initiative have undoubtedly contributed and will continue to contribute positively to this issue. Research still points to family responsibilities as being the major barrier for females to enter the labour market. The participation of women in politics in Malta is still low. In addition to this, women need to be further encouraged to compete directly with men in relation to directorial roles. The gender wage gap, which leads to gender inequality, is still an issue which has to be dealt with throughout the EU. One has to note that Malta has the
lowest wage gap in the EU and therefore it is not considered as a determining factor in this regard. The involvement of all stakeholders is necessary so that females can make a larger contribution to economic growth and development. Policy should be directed towards creating investment and incentives for women so as to better foster their role in society. Innovative approaches are needed to further improve gender equality and enhance the role of women in Malta. We all need to recognise that an equal contribution of both males and females to all spheres of society will make Malta better off.
MCESD 280/3, Republic Street, Valletta, VLT1112 Tel: (+356) 2200 3300 www.mcesd.org.mt
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BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING The theme chosen by the United Nations for International Women’s Day 2014, celebrated on March 8 is, ‘Equality for Women is Progress for All’. Whilst there is no doubt that women’s equality has made tremendous gains throughout the years it is still a fact that gender balance gaps still remain. In the labour market women are still over-represented in lower paid sectors and under-represented in decision-making positions. Regarding the latter, men still make up more than 85% of non-executive board members in the Europe Union. In Europe attitudes vary widely; from just 3% of women board members in Malta, to 18% in the UK and 27% in Finland. In 2011, European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rigts and Citizenship, Viviane Reding, called upon European companies to increase female participation
on company boards through the signing of a pledge entitled, ‘Women on the Board Pledge for Europe’. When signing this pledge, companies oblige themselves to raise the female participation on company boards to 30% by 2015 and to 40% by 2020. However, by 2012 only 24 European companies had signed this pledge. At this rate it will take 40 years to achieve a noteworthy gender balance in company boards.
that Ernst & Young looked at the 290 largest publicly-listed companies and found that the earnings at companies with at least one woman on the board were significantly higher than in those that had no female board member. Other reports have shown that women on boards result in more competitive companies and raise business performance, leading to higher economic gains.
In an interview with International Trade News, Vice-President Reding said that gender-balanced boards make sense for two reasons: they are good for the economic performance of individual companies and for the economy as a whole. She referred to a McKinsey & Co. report which says that having companies which operated a gender balance operated at a higher profit of 56% when compared to maleonly companies. She also said
The European Union has always been at the forefront in the promotion of gender equality. Gender balance is not an issue that has cropped up now but goes back to 1957 where the principle of equal pay for equal work was enshrined in the Treaty of Rome. However, Europe still needs to do more in order to address this gender imbalance. The glass ceiling might have been cracked but it has definitely not been broken.
MEUSAC 280 Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1112 Tel: +356 2200 3315 • Fax: +356 2200 3329 • Email: info.meusac@gov.mt www.meusac.gov.mt VOICE OF THE
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On the EU agenda ‘WOMEN’S ISSUE’ CONNECTED TO WOMEN’S DAY Inspiring Change is the 2014 theme for our internationalwomensday.com global hub and encourages advocacy for women’s advancement everywhere in every way. It calls for challenging the status quo for women’s equality and vigilance inspiring positive change. The vast array of communication channels, supportive spokespeople, equality research, campaigns and corporate responsibility initiatives means everyone can be an advocate inspiring change for women’s advancement. In addition on the 6th of March 2014, in celebration of International Women’s Day, a Women2020 Action Plan will be released on the basis of the Women2020 dialogues in collaboration with our media partners, Business Incubator Magazine and New Europe. For more information: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/
The National Alliance of Women’s Organisations (NAWO) is holding an event: Young Women’s Manifesto – Why Gender should be on Europe’s Agenda. The event will bring together Young Women to discuss, debate and decide on the issues that they most want promoted (and changed) to make their lives better. They will then in the afternoon meet directly with 6 MEP candidates (from the 3 main political parties) for European Parliament, asking for their support and gaining further understanding of how European Parliament works. The event is free to attend, it will take place at Europe House, London on 3 March 2014, more information available here: http://www. genderportal.eu/events/young-women%E2%80%99smanifesto-international-womens-day-%E2%80%93why-gender-should-be-europe%E2%80%99s-agenda
EIGE (European Institute for Gender Equality)’s Calendar: http://eige.europa.eu/events/calendar “Women Inspiring Europe”, EIGE’s initiative has evolved from acknowledging women breaking gender stereotypes to promoting both women and men who have had successful initiatives in the area of gender equality. EIGE created this 2014 calendar by selecting the 12 strongest profiles from nominations received from throughout the EU. In connection with the field of expertise of each of these role models, and in order to highlight the added value of their work, EIGE presents facts and figures extracted from the domains of the Gender Equality Index. EIGE will continue to accept nominations of inspiring women and men throughout 2014: http://eige.europa.eu/content/ form/women-men-resource-pool-nomination-form
The 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 to 21 March 2014. Representatives of Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-(Economic and Social Council of UN) accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions of the world attend the session. The Priority theme will be: Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls. See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/ csw58-2014#sthash.o3QpXrFr.dpuf
Several inspiring women and men will be invited for an online discussion to take place on 6 – 7 March 2014. Register at EuroGender, the European Network for Gender Equality and you will be able to address your questions to Europe’s role models in the field of gender equality! For additional information, please do not hesitate to contact: wo_ men@eige.europa.eu
2014 SEED Awards seek innovative projects on gender equality and women’s empowerment See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/ stories/2014/2/seed-application-2014#sthash. wH4kObYD.dpuf
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Women’s issues are high on the European Union’s Agenda. The Brussels Office of the Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori, who are partners in this project, has prepared for us the current initiatives and events at EU level on the subject.
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UNION ÓADDIEMA MAGÓQUDIN (Malta Workers’ Union) Dar Reggie Miller, St Thomas Street, Floriana, FRN 1123 - Malta Tel +356 21220847 - +356 21234801 - +356 21236484 • Email info@uhm.org.mt www.uhm.org.mt Operational Programme II - Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Project part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing rate: 72.25% EU, 12.75 MT, 15% Private Funds Investing in your future