In an ever growing competitive world, political parties lure their potential voters by proposing better services to facilitate the role of women at work. This is something that serves well both the women who need to or choose to go to work as well as employers needing more from their labour force.

While this is undoubtedly a positive approach, it seems to be quite one-sided. The parties seem to ignore the fact that there are women out there who feel so strongly about raising their own children that it is indeed a career choice in its own right – a homemaker.

Currently the reality seems to be perceived as a choice between needing to work and wanting to work. There are mothers who choose to work in order to pursue a career for reasons of personal professional growth while other mothers choose to do so out of necessity where more than one salary is needed to make ends meet.

Nevertheless, a mother who chooses to stay home to pursue the role of a housewife still seems to be given far less importance than it should. Family is and has been the backbone of Maltese society, and mothers play an essential role in raising their children and being the consolidating figure in a household. This role, I believe, should be promoted and supported further.

It is true that mothers currently are helped through financial measures such as the children’s allowance and a maternity benefit, and this is a boost indeed. But what about a stipend of sorts that could be granted to mothers who choose to raise their children and are willingly making that move their career choice?

We all love to hear about the importance of family and how engrained this philosophy is in Maltese society. But for measures to truthfully claim to be family oriented there must be a choice available to mothers in all situations.

We have to remember that mothers who choose to raise their children do not necessarily come from a rich family or are currently in any advantageous financial situation. It simply means that a conscientious choice has been made to raise one’s children. Think about it.

Finances are spent on the setting up and running of childcare centres to allow the mother to go out and work. But what if similar resources are dedicated towards those mothers who choose to raise their children? This would create more space for those mothers who necessitate the childcare service while also easing the creation of more openings in the workforce.

Such a stipend could be granted for a period of two years and could also be forfeited should the need arise for the mother to make use of the childcare services prior to the expiry of the two-year period. Such a system would truly give families a choice.

Raising children is priceless. Raising children in a sound home environment is a recipe for a stronger work force in the next generation and stronger family units.