Gender equality in Maltese social policy? Graduate women and the male breadwinner model

Abstract

The Maltese government presents itself as an equal opportunities state. Gender equality legislation has been on the statutes since the 1960s. Now, an agreement signed with the European Commission binds government to address gender gaps, which include the enactment and enforcement of comprehensive gender equality and anti-discrimination legislation, and the promotion of family-friendly working arrangements. The study asks whether these claims to gender equality can be sustained, in the context of more traditional features of Malta's society and social policy, in particular the male breadwinner model of the family that underpins much of social, political and economic life in Malta. It examines women's experiences of gender equality in paid work and income, care work, their use of time and the power of their voice. Especially, the research explores gender equality in Maltese social policy, as perceived by women graduates with young children. It adopts a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews and uses data from thirty-nine graduate women, thirty-two are economically active and seven are full time homemakers. I argue that while women have achieved some progress in terms of rights, there persists a gulf between government's proclaimed gender equality objectives and the lived reality of graduate women: the strong pressure to traditional roles is embedded in Maltese cultural and social norms, but also in the state's own social policies.