Women's role within the Maltese tourism industry focusing on arts and culture

Abstract

In this study the researcher looked at the progress of women's role within society from the post war-years to the present day. The main focus was on the Arts and Culture sector within the Tourism Industry. The fields which are of importance are the visual arts; art in painting and photography and the performing arts: theatre and music. This study seeks out to further explain women's participation and that it is important to acknowledge the work done by the women in this Industry. The literature which was compiled helped in further understanding the historical background of each field and that the participation and recognition of women was lacking. The issue of visibility and invisibility ruled out as a major problem in society, as women mainly in the past were those who raised a family and took care of the home but didn't really participate in the arts as many of them weren't financially stable. In general, women within the Tourism Industry tend to look for part-time jobs especially if they are married with children. Their male counterparts, who rank higher in numbers, work full-time and are more likely to be approached for promotions which then lead to managerial posts. The interviews carried out with four women representing each field, helped to draw out similarities, differences and opinions regarding the situation of women's role and involvement in this industry. The conclusion put forward clearly shows that women are participating and are present within this Industry however; there are still mile stones to overcome to fully shift the unbalance in numbers between males and females in all fields and society.