This year marks the centenary in the observance of International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is ‘equal access to education, training and science and technology: pathway to decent work for women.’
The first International Women’s Day was observed 100 years ago, on 19 March 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, following a decision agreed at Copenhagen. The idea of having an international women’s day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialisation and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions. In the United States, in accordance with a declaration by the now dissolved Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman’s Day (NWD) was observed on 28 February 1909.
Today, International Women’s Day is commemorated on 8 March and is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women. In some countries, this day is an official holiday. Annually, on this day, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women’s craft markets, theatrical performances, fashion parades and more.
In Malta, 207,551 women accounted for just over 50 per cent of the total population in 2009. In that same year, just under half of the population aged 15-64 had a secondary level of education as their highest attained level; this was the same for both sexes. The share of women having obtained a primary and post-secondary level of education stood at 23 and 15 per cent respectively, while proportions for males stood at 20 per cent for both levels. However, the number of females with a tertiary level of education was higher than that for males by more than one percentage point.
The employment and inactivity rates for females remained more or less unchanged between 2008 and 2009 and stood at 38 and 59 per cent respectively in 2009. On the other hand, their unemployment rate rose by nearly one percentage point to 7.6 per cent. A similar increase was recorded in the unemployment rate for males. The Labour Force Survey also revealed that during 2009, 34 per cent of employed persons between 15 and 64 were female. These 53,574 persons represented 38 per cent of all women in this age group.
Just under two-thirds of these women were low-skilled non-manual workers, while one-fourth were highly skilled non-manual workers. Three-fourths of women having a tertiary level of education were highly skilled non-manual workers, while women having a lower level of education were most likely to hold low-skilled non-manual positions.
Just over half the women aged 15-64 in employment had a post-secondary or tertiary level of education (Table 7). For unemployed women, slightly less than three-fourths had a secondary level of education or less, while this figure stood at nearly 90 per cent of women who were inactive in 2009.
During 2009, 13 per cent of women aged 15 and over were in training or education, of which nearly 70 per cent were inactive. Eighty-three per cent of women aged 15 and over had followed a general programme of studies (up to secondary level of education. Nearly 10 per cent had studied teacher training and education science and social science, business or law, while less than 1 per cent had followed a course in science, mathematics and computing, or in engineering, manufacturing and construction.