The ritualised celebration of March 8 hopefully serves as a reminder to honour the achievements of many women who have silently contributed – and continue to contribute – despite the abuses society has inflicted upon them.

Unfortunately, even if we may strive for equity, society often continues to discriminate against women and the marginalised. The grip of a long-standing patriarchal culture is too strong and subtle to be removed by simply imposing a law or a policy.

The European Institute for Gender Equality reports that, between 2014 and 2019, Malta had the third highest rate of female homicide among EU states and the highest rate of homicides committed by intimate partners. While the 2022 introduction of femicide in the criminal code is a welcome step, it doesn’t address the deeper cultural issues that shape male-female interactions.

Females are still poorer than their male counterparts and are in many ways restricted. Even though many women in our society have achieved more autonomy and a few have secured important positions, the majority are still struggling to be acknowledged, let alone to have all their daily rights recognised. 

What we need is a radical change in culture, where all humans are given their due. One possible way how to change culture is to slowly change the understanding of gender roles and gender models. Our society has long ascribed care and child-rearing roles to women. From infancy, we have normally turned to a female for nourishment and emotional sustenance, either through the figure of our mother and female relatives or through that of a teacher.

It is high time we work to change the culture by promoting a simple, yet difficult-to-achieve shift: achieving gender balance among early childhood educators and primary school teachers. The latest NSO data shows that only 14.1% of primary school teachers are male and an overwhelming 99.15% of early childhood educators are female.

The trend is for these low percentages of male educators in primary and early childhood settings to get progressively lower. Over the past 20 years, only 8% of those who graduated with a primary teacher qualification from the University of Malta were male. Likewise, over the past four years only 3.2% of those graduating in early childhood education from the faculty of education were male.

Only 14.1% of primary school teachers are male- Adrian-Mario Gellel

Currently, 7% of students following a primary teacher professional degree are male while all students following a degree from our faculty to become early childhood educators are female. These numbers reveal a deep-rooted gender imbalance that, from a young age, limits both boys’ and girls’ understanding of gender roles.

Increasing the number of males in the early childhood and primary education sectors would contribute to changing the image and understanding of the male gender in the eyes of the youngest but would also promote a positive message among young families.

It means changing the dynamics in the relationship not only between the child and the educator but also among educators. As the only male member of the department of early childhood and primary education, I know too well how important it is to challenge and work against stereotypes.

Besides promoting the teaching profession among males, it is extremely important that we educate teachers and early childhood educators into a healthy understanding of the human person that is not limited by gender or any other socially imposed construct.

It would, of course, be naïve to think that increasing the number of male educators in early childhood settings and primary education will automatically solve the issue. As research shows, even within European society, the patriarchal models prevalent in society still privilege the few male educators that work in primary education institutions.

There is indeed the need for a concerted effort for a true culture change. Narrowing the gender gap among early childhood and primary educators is just the first step. It requires an ongoing effort to gradually transform society into a more just and equitable place.

Adrian-Mario Gellel

Adrian-Mario Gellel is a professor of pedagogy and a member of the department of early childhood and primary education at the University of Malta.