Fish or the fishing rod?

Statistics released by the National Statistics Office reveal that there are 3,310 single-parent households in Malta, the majority of which are single-mother households.

Three-fourths of these single mothers are aged between 20 and 59. Only 9.5 per cent of persons living within single-mother households completed post-secondary or higher level of education compared with 14.9 per cent for persons living within other households.

Only 25.2% of single mothers are employed compared with 61.9% for other head of households; 5.2% single mothers are unemployed compared with 3.4% for other head of households; 69.6% of single mothers are inactive compared with 34.7% of other head of households.

Half the single-mother households have no person who is gainfully occupied, contrasting with only 29.1% in other households.

Single-mother households have a lower income than other households due to the lower economic activity of these households. Most income earned by single-mother households is derived from social benefits. The majority of single-mother households are above the poverty line and own at least one car.

The lower economic activity of single-mother households may be attributed to a different age distribution in such households than others or a greater tendency for such households to work in the underground economy.

However, it is indeed very worrying to see that there are single-mother households that are relying completely on the state for their daily livelihood. Here one must ask: are the social benefits resulting in a disincentive to work?

There is no doubt that earning one's own living is a very important boost to one's self-respect and for a person to feel more fulfilled. Is the state giving single mothers fish to eat rather than a fishing rod?

A more in-depth study of this issue is required to establish whether single mothers are being empowered to earn their own living, through access to adequate childcare facilities, or whether they are being encouraged to sit back and wait for the state to provide their daily bread. The discussion on the sustainability of our welfare system should ideally also look into these issues.