Headship positions of women within the public sector (general service grades)

Abstract

Maltese women are commonly accepted as being the backbone of the family, the main carers. Yet there are those women who apart from being so, also opt for a career. Attitudes towards female employees have been on the move, resulting in more women taking up employment. Why is the number of women so distinct within the Public Sector (General Service Grades)? If most of the higher posts are occupied by male employees, could it be therefore that women find obstacles in their career, or maybe that the public sector does not cater adequately for the needs of career seeking women? Incentives and family friendly measures introduced by the government ought to serve as a stepping stone to aid women seeking a career. Is it really so? Do these measures give ample progress to these women? These were the main questions in my study. By means of a questionnaire sent to a sample of General Service Grade employees, I have tried to probe deeper into the ambitions and expectations of the employees themselves.