Australia’s poor old women

According to a report released in March this year by think tank Per Capita ‘Measure for Measure. Gender Equality in Australia’ 34% of single women (divorced, widowed or never married) are living in poverty by the age of 60. That number rises to 50% of them once they are living on the aged pension. These figures are pre-COVID.

For as long as I can remember, women have been told that a man is not a financial plan, but when I look at my contemporaries and who is secure and who is at risk, it seems that is a big fat lie.

The job stimulus packages offered by our government are so entirely focussed on male-dominated industries that it almost feels like they are trolling us. They even keep being referred to as ‘shovel-ready’ jobs. To absolutely rub women’s noses in it, the first group of workers removed from Jobkeeper were childcare workers – overwhelmingly underpaid women. No one has been able to explain the logic of singling them out.

As I have said before, in today’s Australia we tell older women ‘look, its lovely you put the needs of your kids, elderly relatives and anyone else in need of care ahead of yourself, thanks for that. Now, can you just go and live in your car?’

Source: Australia’s poor old women – The Big Smoke

One thought on “Australia’s poor old women”

  1. I am, at 93, more fortunate. First, I was and am a Feminist. This means my husband was under no illusion that I expected anything other than fairness in relation to money, work and pleasure! His female relatives saw me as some kind of foreigner. I did not care. Also a Jewish woman told me once in answer to my question. ‘How does your blind 90years old mother manage? “Money Marion, money. Hence even though the government is a great support I am relatively independent, in a house we built ourselves forty years ago, in a country town. That money and a short time left to live, it is NO fortune, allows me to be ‘not mean’ ; I do, at all times, pass on my Jewish friend’s advice and of course spread the Feminist word! DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE DEPENDENT ON MALES!If life says otherwise, be assertive in the matter of fairness! I know he ‘loves’ you BUT he loves himself just that little bit more!

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