Women's rights : reality or myth? : the presence of women in senior positions in Maltese society

Abstract

This thesis deals with the current situation in Malta regarding women's conditions of work as well as their positions at management level. My task is to show that although women's role in society has changed considerably over the last fifty years, few women hold senior posts of responsibility. The first chapter presents a brief history of the major advances in equality issues for women in the world. It deals with the history of the birth of women's rights their right to vote, their right to contest elections, their right to work, as well as their right to equal pay. The second chapter concerns the European Union's commitments to women's advancement. The year 2003 is a decisive year for Malta. Time alone will determine whether Malta will join the European Union at the next enlargement in 2004. Hence, l consider the stand of the European Union with regards to women pertinent to this essay. Chapter three deals with the legal aspect and how the legal system has improved the lot of women. It will also discuss the changes that have taken place concerning the education of girls and their entry, not only to university, but also their entry into specific areas of study, which have traditionally been considered as a male territory. Chapter four will concentrate on decision-making and on statistics that provide an insight of Maltese women's role in posts of responsibility in various areas. It will aim to prove that there are more men in full time jobs than there are women and also that men are still the main controllers in top managerial posts. Chapter five will deal with the social and religious aspect of this controversy. It will focus on the structures that are presently available to help women with young children remain at their jobs. This chapter will also deal with the Church's position on women who go to work when raising a family and some of the problems that the Church believes are the result of women working at a full-time job. The final chapter will draw some conclusions and also offe1 some suggestions on how to improve the local situation to make women's working life, not easier, but the same as that of men's.