The government will be launching the maternity leave fund in the coming days, Social Solidarity Minster Helena Dalli said today. The fund will help reduce discrimination that still exists despite being against the law.

The burden of maternity leave payments will now be shared by all employers by means of contributions they have to pay, irrespective of whether they employ women or not.

Dr Dalli also said that Standard and Poors, in a report issued today, recognised the measures introduced by the government to incentivise more women to join the workforce. The report, she said, noted that the number of women who entered the labour market for the first time and those who returned to the workplace after a number of years are to be important factors for economic growth. The Minister said these measures included free childcare.  

The Chairperson of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality, Renee Laviera, said the number of women who entered the workforce in the past two years was unprecedented. This was thanks to the government-implemented measures, including increases in pay, pensions and promotion and training opportunities.

The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Joseph Camilleri, said the government is also addressing precarious employment and introducing more and more family friendly measures.