CC BUSINESS
“Women are born organisers and multitaskers. At least all women I know are!” – Denise Micallef Xuereb, Construction and Development Director, AX Group
Photo by Matthew Mirabelli
Yet for those in employment, flexibility must come from up top, with companies needing to give staff enough leeway to cope with the long list of personal and professional commitments required to do a good job – whether in the office or at home. This is the philosophy upheld at Writemeanything, the founder says. “We are lucky enough to operate in an industry that can be flexible and, for the most part, our team can work the hours that suit them best in the place that suits them best. This has had knock on positives for the company too, by reducing commuting time (and thus wasted time) for the team and even bringing down our in-house costings. Of course, it can’t work for everyone and every business, but when it does it is certainly a win-win.” SEPTEMBER 2019
Ultimately, female agency in the business world means opening a window to the diverse possibilities the market can offer, Ms Caruana continues. “Overall, I think it’s about talking more to young women about the fact that this career option is open to them by putting visible role models in place,” she stresses. And, despite the demands and challenges of opening and maintaining a business, she sees creativity and hope within the process, which is also “incredibly diverse, rewarding and – hopefully – reflective of solutions these individuals want to see in the world.” Denise Micallef Xuereb, Construction and Development Director for the AX Group, also reiterates this position. “I believe in women and feel strongly about their entrepreneurial
skill sets. As a company we have always promoted women, even in high ranking positions,” she says. Locally, however, she feels that, although “the situation is constantly improving,” there is still “a long way to go.” She highlights the figures reflecting poor female representation on boards, emphasising that this is a result of various factors. “One element I can see is that many companies offer women part-time work instead of allowing women to work full-time but on flexible terms. Part-time work will only set them back and, potentially, it will not allow them to achieve the same goals as their male peers. That is probably one of the reasons we don’t see as much female representation in higher corporate positions. They are just not around for the promotions!” Another reason is also a question of mentality, or, as she puts it, of “selflimitation.” Ms Micallef Xuereb notes how women possess more of a tendency to feel insecure and “cloud themselves with a lot of doubt,” questioning their abilities to “venture out to be able to arrive to those top positions.” This, coupled with “social pressure coming from extended families or friends to quit jobs when they marry or have kids,” or even “possible guilt feelings when it comes to the family-work balancing act,” may hold women back from the juicier roles, she says. Yet, these feelings of self-doubt need to be tempered with the realisation that women are capable and have much to offer, she attests. “Women are born organisers and multitaskers. At least all women I know are!” Indeed, women should be on boards knowing they “have earned the right to be on that board just like anyone else.” 53