Sunday 23 July 2017

PRESS RELEASE: Older Women & Superannuation

Older women, (women 55+), in Australia have spent a lifetime of accumulating less, a lifetime of inequality of lower pay than men, of fewer higher paid positions than men.  The gender pay gap persists today. 

This endemic, consistent and appalling discrimination coupled with persistent and consistent workplace discrimination has been highly damaging on the mental health and wellbeing of older women. Particularly for those few older women who have held senior positions throughout their working careers. Women who are educated and capable and who can bring a wealth of experience to leadership roles and who are continuously overlooked due to their age.  

Superannuation? With super introduced in 1972 and with wages set, up to 1976, by industrialized awards, today’s older women have little if any superannuation.

Women are getting married older, having children older, and thus have less opportunity to gain financial security.  Women predominately outlive their spouses and then have their pensions reduced. When divorced they get half a house if they are lucky if not they join the growing 44% of homeless older women.

Superannuation? Today’s older women who began work as single women in the public service up to 1972 had to leave their jobs if they got married because it was deemed they were, ‘taking the job of a man.’ “Today one in every two employed women work part-time compared to only one in five men. On average women employed full time earn 20% less than men.”  

The older Women’s Network Australia Incorporated strongly supports the research finding s of the Per Capita think tank as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday July 20, 2017 that, “each person’s  super be assessed against an “accumulated pathway” that would model the balance at each age needed to afford a basic retirement.

To see older women in this 21st Century sleeping out on the street and in cars is a failure of public policy. Shame Australia!! Whose ‘Luck Country’ is this? Today’s Older women deserve more

Aloma Fennell, National President, Own Australia Inc.
Contact: 0420 785 335, ownaust@gmail.com, Twitter: @OlderWomenNetAu.