Measures to address the financial crisis must not have adverse effects on women
 
The National Council of Women notes that the Pre-Budget 2010 Consultation document while seeking to avoid economic pitfalls, is aiming at sustaining the health and social systems in an attempt to build stability – indeed not an easy task in the current circumstances

NCW is looking forward to the forthcoming budget that will ensure Malta’s position on the extension of maternity leave from 14 to 18 weeks. NCW supports the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 92/85/EEC on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding COM(2008) 637 final – 2008/0193 (COD)

This initiative is an opportunity to strengthen legislation that not only enables women to recover adequately following confinement, but also encourages them to breastfeed and helps them to forge a strong bond with their newborn child.

NCW agrees with the Commission that a minimum paid maternity leave of 18 weeks should be guaranteed to all pregnant employees.  However, NCW believes that the Commission needs to consider the recommendation of the Social Platform - including the European Women's Lobby -as well as those given by the WHO and the UNICEF , which are based on the benefit for children to be exclusively breastfed during their first six months of life, as a health prevention measure for both mother and child. It therefore recommends seeking for additional legal and practical solutions, which, in terms of space and time, can facilitate breastfeeding.

Besides increasing pre-school facilities, government is introducing after-school programmes for children of primary school age in three different localities to compliment forma learning. Children stand to gain from activities that help them develop their talents and offer the possibility of catching up in subjects where they lag behind. NCW would like to see such programmes extended to other localities in the future. Parents, in particular mothers can organize their working time better and in certain circumstances move into full time posts or take up better paid jobs that cannot be offered on a part-time basis

NCW is aware that our economy will be facing a tough time in the first months of 2010 and therefore the proposed measures should encourage the private sector to make use of flexicurity policies to offer attractive choices for women seeking employment, not least in higher paid jobs, harnessing their labour force by ensuring employees are up to the mark for economic growth to face future competition.

Women’s contribution to the economy has never been really assessed – women’s household financial decisions, women’s contribution to the success of a business enterprise and not least women’s spending powers as consumers. We must make sure that government measures to address the financial crisis will not have adverse effects on women,  in particular where both parents work and at the same time wish to raise a family

NCW also believes more needs to be done for self-employed women who cannot make full use of social benefits such as maternity and sick leave as due to the intrinsic nature of their work, cannot afford to stay away from work for long, especially in the case of small enterprises. SMEs are the backbone of our economy; at the same time they offer the basis for, the much needed creation of new jobs

In the forthcoming budget, NCW would like to see particular attention given to the development of strong  policies that focus on future skills for future jobs in areas such as ITC, alternative energy and health and long-term care which should be Malta's future sectors for economic growth and job creation.

The Council, in its recommendations is also looking ahead at 2010 as the European Year to combat Poverty and Social Exclusion 2010 and therefore it is crucial that Budget 2010 will address 'in-work' poverty to identify the specific financial needs of all types of families in Malta who are at risk of poverty