Week unclouded. Babies, entitlement gaps, and love scams
News can be overwhelming to follow. Important news bites can get lost amongst all the hard and breaking news. Here are a couple of the headlines from this week and beyond that impact women.
They want us to have more babies…
Photo by Lingchor on Unsplash
This week Malta’s Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said the country needs to take “urgent, drastic and expensive action” to reverse the worrying drop in native population numbers.
As we know Malta has the lowest fertility rate in the EU, at just 1.08 births per woman – far below the replacement rate of 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population.
We recently heard that women should be having three babies each to keep up the rates. The minister spoke about two – phew - saying that couples need thousands of euros per year in support. He gave the example of a new tax compilation for those having more than one child.
The Malta Women’s Lobby called for a dedicated task force to examine the issue of low fertility through a multidisciplinary lens – this is not just about money.
And they get it!
Yes the financial support – like tax stuff and free child care etc - do help a lot. But they are not enough. Raising kids is not just about money. They are life-changing. They demand – and deserve – attention and care which can be demanding on parents: physically, emotionally and psychologically. Not only financially.
The key is helping parents achieve a real work-life balance. One that allows them to earn money, look after their children – and themselves.
What do you think?
Women feel less entitled - research says
Photo by Austria National Library on Unsplash
Here’s something worth keeping in mind: Back in 2021, The Female Lead published research into why women have still not achieved equal progression and pay in the workplace.
“The goal was to understand why women make certain career-shaping decisions, focusing on those in their mid-stage careers, where female progression typically plateaus at the same time that male progression continues to soar,” they said. This is a situation reflected in Malta, as research has shown.
The Female Lead’s research found that women have been socially conditioned to feel less entitled than men: this has created a big entitlement gap between men and women. This results in women taking on more caring roles and housework and, for example, in women negotiating less on a career and salary level.
Do you relate?
Shield your heart. Beware of romance scams
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Ladies be careful. Valentine’s Day can be a tough time for those who are single but yearn for love. Which is why this week the police issued a warning against online romance fraud.
In a Facebook post, the police said it was a common scam for fraudsters to manipulate victims into sending money under the guise of love and trust.
In 2023, Times of Malta reported how, in the previous five years, police received 37 reports of romance scams with victims being defrauded of just under €1 million between them. The reports were on the increase.
Look after your hearts x
Share your news
Do you have some women-related news you want to share? Or perhaps an idea or topic you feel deserves to be spoken about and ‘unclouded’? Or an inspiring story to share?
If so you can comment below or send an email on hello@womanunclouded.com so we can discuss how to get your voice heard.