National Council of Women of Malta - Promoting Equality of Opportunities

The National Council of Women Annual General Meeting “Towards a regeneration for the Future”

NCW Malta Annual General Meeting 2021 was held at The Palace Hotel Sliema on Thursday 22 July 2021 In her opening address, outgoing NCW President, Mary Gaerty, called on the Assembly to join her in a prayer for past members of NCW, for those who lost their life due to the Covid-19 and for the women whose lives were taken away due to femicide, which saw an increase during Covid-19.

Elimination of Violence against Women - 16 Days of Activism

Elimination of violence against women – 16 Days of Activism. You too can do something about it! The 25th of November is the kick off date for the annual international campaign of 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence. It starts on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and runs till the 10th of December, Human Rights Day .

Human dignity should be respected at all times.

The National Council of Women would like to express its concern about the video posted online portraying men pelting a woman with eggs during a stag party. Human dignity should be respected at all times. As a society, we should condemn any type of abuse even if this is done by consent for financial gain.

OSCE/ODIHR anti-trafficking survey for survivors of trafficking in human beings

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has received numerous responses and has decided to extend the submission due date for the survey of survivors of human trafficking to Monday 26 August 2019.

NEW TASK FORCE AT EUROPOL TO TARGET THE MOST DANGEROUS CRIMINAL GROUPS INVOLVED IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING

On 2 July, the Joint Liaison Task Force Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings (JLT-MS) was launched at Europol. This new operational platform will allow liaison officers from all EU Member States to step up the fight against constantly adapting criminal networks.

Malta is EU country with highest rate of tertiary education graduates in employment

A report in the Independent states that Malta stood above the EU average in 2018 when it came to the employment rate of graduates aged 20-34 who had attained a tertiary level education within the previous three years,

European Commission

On 2 July 2019, Ursula von der Leyen was nominated by the European Council to the position of President of the European Commission; she will be the first women and the first German since Walter Hallstein

Equal opportunities and access to the labour market

1. Education, training and life-long learning Everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions in the labour market. 2. Gender equality Equality of treatment and opportunities between women and men must be ensured and fostered in all areas, including regarding participation in the labour market, terms and conditions of employment and career progression. Women and men have the right to equal pay for work of equal value.

The gender pay gap in the EU and the European Pillar of #SocialRights

1. The gender pay gap in the EU is 16.2%, that’s 16.2% higher than it should be! Gender equality is the second key principle of the European Pillar of #SocialRights for a reason 2. The European Pillar of #SocialRights supports the right to equal treatment and opportunities regarding employment, social protection, education, and access to goods and services available to the public. Something NCW Malta has supported since its creation!

Gender Equality in the Media Sector

This study was commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. It examines key elements of the European policy agenda pertaining to gender equality in the media sector. It also reviews existing research on women's representation within media content and the media workforce. The study provides analysis of actions to promote gender equality in the media at both EU and Member State levels. Finally, it presents case studies of gender equality in the media sector in four Member States: Austria, Malta, Sweden, and the UK.

Empowering women and girls in media and ICT

On the occasion of the International Women's Day, the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality is holding an inter-parliamentary committee meeting on empowering women and girls in media and ICT. The meeting, which will bring together EU institutional representatives, members of EU national parliaments, experts and stakeholders, will take place on 08 March 2018. The presentation and debates will deal with the topics of women shaping media, empowering women and girls through digital inclusion and women’s movements and advancing equality in the digital age.

Digital healthcare / health insurance

In the view of the EESC, given the digital revolution in the field of health, it is vital to maintain and promote a health insurance system which serves the needs of everyone, and is solidarity-based, inclusive and non-discriminatory. Inclusion and fair access for all to good quality health services (digital or otherwise) and commitment to these are in fact prerequisites for universal health coverage.

Gender equality in European labour markets

In order to improve gender equality in labour markets, the EESC considers it necessary to draw up an integrated and ambitious European strategy to tackle systemic and structural obstacles and lead to adequate policies, measures and EU funding programmes for improving equality between women and men, thus fostering "more equal economic independence of women and men" . This would also contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Services to the family

Developing services in private homes in order to achieve a better work-life balance Every family has a home and clothes to maintain, meals to prepare, children to care for, elderly parents or ill or disabled family members who need help. Women often have to work part-time in order to carry out these tasks, missing out on the career for which they have trained or on time they would use for training.

Women and girls digital gender gap

This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the FEMM Committee, attempts to reveal the links between the different factors (access, skills, socio-economic and cultural), which prevent women from having equal access to digital technology. It then suggests ways of dealing with online and offline inequalities to the effect of closing the digital gender gap and improving women’s and girls’ digital inclusion and future technology-related career paths.

Plastics, human health and environmental impacts: The road ahead

Plastics have been with us for more than a century, and by now they’re everywhere, for good and for ill. Plastic containers and coatings help keep food fresh, but they can also leave behind neurotoxins such as BPA in the human body. PVC is used for everything from pipes and flooring to furniture and clothes, but it contains compounds called phthalates that have been implicated in male reproductive disorders. Studies have also shown that childhood exposure to environmental pollutants can have significant negative effects later in life, including reduced labor force participation and even earnings.

European Commission aims to significantly reduce the gender pay gap

The European Commission plans to use a series of measures aimed at significantly reducing the pay gap between men and women over the next five years. The average gender pay gap in the EU currently stands at 18%. To lower this rate, the Commission plans to raise awareness among employers, encourage initiatives to promote gender equality and support the development of tools to measure the gender pay gap.

NCW Annual General Meeting 2019

NCW Annual General Meeting 2019 The Annual General Meeting of the National Council of Women was held on Saturday 26th January 2019, at The Victoria Hotel, Sliema. President Mary Gaerty spoke about the work which the Council has embarked on during 2018. This included pensions, education, violence against women, work and entrepreneurship, work life balance and the challenges faced by women on a daily basis. She also highlighted the fact that the National Council of Women is looking ahead at the constant changes

Work-life Balance

Better work-life balance for EU citizens: Presidency reaches provisional agreement with the European Parliament

The National Council of Women supports the Act to provide protection for human embryos

NCW has always advocated for legislation of alternative IVF treatment not least because of the sensitivity and the consequences for both parents and society if it had to remain unregulated. NCW believes that IVF treatment should be for heterosexuals within a stable family environment The Council has always supported the protection of embryos as the first cell of a human life and, with the development of alternative treatment over the past years this has become possible successfully.

Women on Boards: Vice-President Viviane Reding meets with leaders of Europe's business schools and i

Today, EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding met with European Industry Associations, European Business Schools and Senior Executive Women to discuss progress being made on improving the gender balance in company boardrooms.

UfM adopts new project to support women’s empowerment in the Mediterranean

A project aimed at developing women’s empowerment in the Mediterranean through the development of effective field projects and the setting up of networks and platforms, was adopted by Senior Officials of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) at a meeting held last month.

Women's Participation in Decision-Making

Addressing the issue of women's participation in decision-making is one of the six priorities of the EU Roadmap for Equality between Women and Men 2006-2010 and its follow-up as part of the EU Commission review of the strategy

NCW study on Perceived Obstacles to the participation of women in decision-making posts in collaboration with the National Statistics Office

Perceived Obstacles to the participation of women in decision-making posts

Main findings

Gender Balance Representation in National Parliament

81% women think that there should be a balance between male and female representation in parliament

(more single women than married women)

(more married men than single men)

46% respondents think that men are more suitable than women for the role

Perceptions

Women's participation in political decision-making

Local government

Gender balance representation in Local Councils

Positive

It is the right of both sexes (43%)
Women and men complement each other(29%)
Women have leadership skills (22%)
Women are more sensitive (4%))
Women can solve problems more peacefully than men(1%)

Negative

Men are more suitable (33%)
Women should look after the family(15%)
Women haven't got the time (16%)
Women are not good leaders (3%)
Other reasons (30%)

Gender balance Representation in National Parliament

Positive

It is the right of both sexes (41%)

Women and men complement each other(29%)

Women have leadership skills (24%)

Women are more sensitive (3%))

Women can solve problems more peacefully than men(2%)

Gender Balance Representation in National Parliament

Negative

Men are mores suitable (45%)

Women should look after the family(12%)

Women haven't got the time (11%)

Women are not good leaders (4%)

Perceived Obstacles to women in obtaining decision-making /managerial posts

Obstacles

Age (45.5%)

Qualifications (71%)
Competition (68.8%)
Long hours (75.8%)
Gender(32.6%)\
Child responsibilities (83%)
Elderly responsibilities(71%)
Family responsibilities (74%)
Lack of partner support (82.6%)
Lack of family support (72%)

Reasons for wanting a promotion: men

Better salary (76%)
Job satisfaction (23%)

Reasons for wanting a promotion: women

Job satisfaction (46%)
Better salary (54%)

Respondents who consider becoming members of a local council by sex

men (0,8 %) women (1.4%)

Respondents who would not consider becoming members of a local council by sex

men (93.2%) women (94.1%)

European Parliament

The number of women elected as European members of Parliament in the elections of 4 June 2009 has risen from 30% to 35%. This is a good result but not yet good enough Malta fails to elect one single woman in spite of the NCW campaign

The distribution of women in the European Parliament in the 7th legislature (2009-2014)

Member State	Number of MEPs	Number of women	%
Finland	13	8	61.54
Sweden	18	10	55.56
Estonia	6	3	50.00
Netherland	25	12	48.00
Bulgaria	13	6	46.15
Denmark	72	33	45.83
France	17	7	41.18
Austria	17	7	41.18
Slovakia	13	5	38.46
Latvia	8	3	37.50
Germany	99	37	37.37
Belgium	22	8	36.36
Hungary	22	8	36.36
Portugal	22	8	36.36
Romania	33	12	36.36
Spain	50	18	36.00
UK	72	24	33.33
Cyprus	6	2	33.33
Greece	22	7	31.82
Slovenia	7	2	28.57
Ireland	12	3	25.00
Lithuania	12	3	25.00
Italy	72	16	22.22
Poland	50	11	22.00
Czech Republic	22	4	18.18
Luxembourg	6	1	16.67
Malta	5	0	0.00

Recommendations

Gender equality in decision-making in politics and in the economy cannot be addressed in a vacuum. It requires an integrated approach

The role of Political Parties

At local and national level

Addressing and removing the variety of obstacles to women's representation in decision-making and leadership posts
Establishment of quotas and other special measures including affirmative action to enhance women's representation:

The role of Trade Unions

Making decision-making posts for women accessible
Training
Family-friendly organisation of time for meetings

The role of the Private Sector

leadership training, mentoring and networking for women .

reducing the competing demands on women's time by establishing paternity leaves and by providing other innovative child/elderly/dependent family members care

The Media

Promoting a balanced and non-stereotypical portrayal of women and men

also addressed the ways in which gender roles and relationships were presented in teaching materials, text books and school curricula recognizing the education system as a potent force for socialization Actions to focus on representation of women and men in mass media programming and in advertising, including advertising on the Internet

also addressed the ways in which gender roles and relationships were presented in teaching materials, text books and school curricula recognizing the education system as a potent force for socialization
NGOs and local communities to include public awareness campaigns and competitions; seminars and round-tables, training for decision-makers and media professionals and application of legislative actions against sexism.

The role of Government

Gender Responsive Budgets

Gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting is the identification of gender gaps and inequalities through the availability of statistical and other data.
On-going activities to strengthen national capacity to collect and analyze gender-disaggregated data
Addressing and removing the variety of obstacles to women's representation in decision-making and leadership posts
Establishment of quotas and other special measures including affirmative action to enhance women's representation:
in political parties at central and local level,
in the civil administration
on government boards
in the private sector,
in the economy.
leadership training, mentoring and networking for women .
reducing the competing demands on women's time by establishing paternity leaves and by providing other innovative child/elderly/dependent family members care

Measures to improve women's access to employment

Recognizing in particular working women's need for special pregnancy, maternity and child care, as well as for measures which ensure that they are not penalized for time out of work for child-bearing, and that they can easily re-integrate back into the labour force
Introducing measures to attract economically inactive women into the labour force Strengthening knowledge of the impact of macro-economic policies on employment. Developing research focused on gender to enable the elaboration of efficient strategies aiming at strengthening the role of women in the economy.
Increasing the numbers of men in traditionally female dominated occupations Introducing measures to decrease gender-based occupational segregation;
Introducing measures to attract economically inactive women into the labour force

Women in Political Decision-making

The number of women elected as European members of Parliament in the elections of 4 June 2009 has risen from 30% to 35%. This is a good result but not yet good enough and definitely one that does not reflect Malta's state of affairs.

NCW reiterates its call on government, political parties, social partners and society at large to address the gender decision-making deficit in political and economic areas seriously. If current fragmented measures are not producing positive results then we need to go for something more structured - a National Action Plan for Positive Action, that as temporary measures have produced tangible results in many European countries

Grace Attard

President, NCW

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