Female participation in the Armed Forces of Malta

Abstract

The focus of this study is the female soldiers who have joined the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) since 1990. Most of the Maltese hardly know that there are women within the Armed Forces of Malta. Being a female who wished to join the AFM way back in 1990, and did not succeed, the opportunity came by means of this course to give the general public a more realistic picture of females in the AFM. Lack of information about the AFM is due to the fact that very little was written over the years with regards to AFM. This often leaves the general public to roam in vague and fantasize to their extremes about the Maltese Army and soldiers. Some might think that once a woman joins the army she looses all her femininity and all that is attributed to women. This research will give more information about the role of women in the AFM; their achievements and their difficulties. Along the years the AFM evolved immensely according to the changes of time. Today, we find women within the AFM doing a job which is traditionally considered as a man's job and vice versa. All these suggest that within AFM female soldiers are given equal opportunities depending on the abilities and talents of each soldier and promotions are based on meritocracy rather than gender. Using a qualitative research approach a set of open ended questions was formulated adding more questions to the interviewee according to their responses. The responses from the participants indicate that who works hard and show initiative will be rewarded and promoted.