‘I believe that our society would benefit from strong female role models, whose example will continue to inspire both our young women and our young men, to become true champions of gender equality and inclusion’.
H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta
The President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, this morning delivered the opening speech at the “Closing the Gender Pay Gap” Conference, held at San Anton Palace.
The President said it is inspiring to see so many stakeholders combining their strengths and aspirations to create synergies to address the Gender Pay Gap.
The conference was organised by the President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, together with emPOWer, the Platform for Women’s organisations; the Centre for Labour Studies at the University of Malta; the National Statistics Office; the National Forum of Trade Unions; and Ernst and Young.
Her Excellency Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca emphasized that ‘It is only by working together, through opportunities, such as this conference, that we can continue to highlight the essential need for the equal and equitable socio-economic participation of women.
Also addressing the conference were two speakers from Iceland; the Honourable Thorsteinn Viglundsson, Member of the Icelandic Parliament and former Minister for Equality, and Ms Hanna Birna Kristjansdottir, Chair of the Executive Board of Women Political Leaders.
Addressing the two speakers from Iceland, President Coleiro Preca commended the many ways in which Iceland is leading the way, to introduce concrete measures for equal pay, by also making checks and balances legal and mandatory, so that equal pay exists in practice, and not just on paper.
With reference to Malta, Her Excellency said that ‘Although there have been a number of important steps forward, for women’s economic empowerment, in particular, in the increased rate of gainfully occupied women, now is the time to address the challenge of the gender pay gap’.
The President expressed her conviction that everyone believes that the socio-economic empowerment of women leads to the enrichment of families, communities, and societies as a whole.
Her Excellency said that ‘our journey towards full equality and equity in the economic sectors of our country, is evidence of an even deeper commitment, to safeguard the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of all humanity’.
The President explained that ‘Agenda 2030’, is a roadmap that brings with it a system of values, which promote, respect for human dignity, the pursuit of equity, effective access to democratic participation, and equitable opportunities for inclusive prosperity’.
President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca went on to explain Sustainable Development Goal Number 5, which targets the need for gender equality, and for the empowerment of women and girls, and the commitment to a future of equality, equity, and justice for all.
Her Excellency expressed her belief that our society, and our whole world, would benefit from strong female role models, whose example will continue to inspire both our young women and our young men, to become true champions of gender equality and inclusion.
President Coleiro Preca expressed her disappointment that, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality index, one of the most serious challenges for gender equality in Malta is the unequal division of time spent by women and men on unpaid work. This includes care, domestic tasks, chores, and social activities.
This reflects a worrying lack of development when it comes to the mentality and the culture, here in Malta, which still excludes women from full and equitable inclusion in the economy, the President said.
President Coleiro Preca alleged that ‘we are making considerable strides forward, in terms of legislation and policy …. however, we are not keeping up the same pace to achieve the much-needed mental and cultural leap, to overcome prejudice and discrimination’.
The President quoted the latest European Institute for Gender Equality Index, which indicates that the share of Maltese women, who are members of boards in the largest quoted companies, is only 3.8 percent, compared to an EU average of 21.7 percent. When it comes to the share of board members of Malta’s central bank, 20 percent are women, as opposed to 80 percent of men.
President Coleiro Preca said ‘It is shocking to acknowledge that the gender pay gap in Malta has risen to 11% in 2018. The overall earning gap stands at nearly 50% according to the latest Eurostat reports.
Furthermore, in comparison to men, women still tend to be employed less, are employed in lower-paid sectors, work on average 6 hours longer per week than men, but have fewer paid hours, and face fewer and slower promotions, President Coleiro Preca noted.
Her Excellency pointed out that since women in the EU are over-represented in industries with low pay levels and under-represented in well paid industries, this significantly contributes to the gender pay gap across the European Union.
The President concluded by saying that we need to find innovative ways to address this troubling situation, especially in our own society, and hoped these indicators will provide valuable food for thought during this conference. It is the firm of the President that although many individuals and organisations within our business sector are well intentioned, appropriate strategies to address the issue of the gender pay gap, are still missing.