Men's contribution to cooking and housework increased by 26% between 2016 and 2022 according to the European Gender Equality Index (GEI), a factor hailed as a 'positive development' by the National Commission for Promotion of Equality on Wednesday.
The report, by the European Institute for Gender Equality, was issued earlier this week. It found that Malta had moved up one place to 13th in the index.
"In Malta, since 2016, men’s contribution to cooking and housework responsibilities increased by 26%. The gender gap in these activities has narrowed significantly, and by 2022, 78% of women and 63% of men reported doing daily cooking and housework," the commission observed.
But the report also says that the widest gender gap in this category was among couples with children and between women and men aged between 50 and 64, showing, the commission said, that work still needed to be done.
Furthermore, despite narrowing gender gaps in relation to unpaid housework, the gender gap was still significant in relation to the participation of women and men in sporting, cultural or leisure activities outside the home several times a week.
"The unequal division of unpaid care and social activities underscores the lasting impact of cultural norms on gender roles in Malta," the commission added.
The Gender Equality Index monitors progress across the EU in six key domains— work, money, knowledge, time, power, and health. Scores range from 1 to 100, where 1 representing total inequality and 100 total equality.
The highest ranking for Malta was in the field of work (3rd), where Malta scored 81.0 points.
"This marks an impressive rise for Malta from 23rd place in 2010," the commission said.
It also noted that, since 2010, a remarkable increase of 30.3 points had been registered in relation to power, where Malta ranks 17th among the EU countries with a score of 51.2, showing, however, that there was still the most room for improvement in this area.
"Progress has been supported by the implementation of the gender corrective mechanism during the 2022 general election. Yet, political decision-making, which takes into account the share of women and men ministers, members of parliament and members of local councils, remains the largest area of concern with a score of 46.6 points, ranking 20th."