Gender equality action plan 2003-2004 : promoting equal opportunities in the labour market

Abstract

ETC believes that greater female participation in the labour market would be of both social and economic benefit and is committed to enabling this participation. This commitment was recently given added impetus in the Joint Assessment Paper of Employment Policy Priorities, signed by both the Government of Malta and the European Commission in October 2001. In this Paper, one of the top policy priorities to which Malta is committed is increasing the female employment rate and enabling women and men to balance work and family life. In line with Malta’s gender policy more generally, as well as its post-Beijing commitments and the guidelines in the European Employment Strategy, ETC endorses a mainstream approach to gender issues. This approach seeks to bring the needs and concerns of both women and men into the development of policies and programmes. The goal is to make the labour market equally inclusive of both women and men. This means that both are to have equal access to employment of one’s choice and to decent working conditions; to enjoy equal reward for work of equal value; and to be able to balance one’s work with one’s family responsibilities. ETC believes that women’s position in the mainstream labour market may be strengthened through a range of targeted actions. Through this plan, ETC will seek first of all to ensure that its own services are equally open to both women and men, and that the impact of its services is closely monitored and brought into our planning systems. The plan will also help women to break into new fields and forms of work; to upgrade their skills; and to enable them to progress in their careers. This two-year plan is the first of its kind, and will provide a platform for future plans to build upon. Efforts have been made to develop the plan together with experts in the field, and to deliver many of its actions in partnership with other entities. ETC would like to thank all those entities and individuals who helped to formulate this plan. ETC will continue to welcome all suggestions that enhance policy and practice on women, men and the labour market, as well as proposals for joint initiatives on the theme of equal opportunities and gender equity. [Introduction by John Camilleri].