Study reveals spike in the number of single mothers in paid employment
A new study conducted by the Herald Sun has revealed a huge jump in the number of single mothers in paid employment, and while some hail it as a great advancement in opportunities for women, advocacy groups, including CSMC are warning that it is also a sign of desperation and for many single mothers, points to an unsustainable burden on women raising children solo.
According to the Herald Sun report, the number of single mothers in paid employment has leapt from 47 per cent in 2005 to 73 per cent. Interestingly, there has been no change in the number of employed fathers since 2005.
CSMC CEO, Jenny Davidson, who was interviewed for the Herald Sun article launching the results of the study, said that the figures reflect entrenched attitudes to unpaid labour and a system that is broken.
Figures reveal that despite more women undertaking paid employment, unpaid labour in the home isn’t shifting at the same rate, with women spending 35 hours a week on housework compared to 19.7 from men.
While the rise in cost-of-living pressures are certainly moving more single mothers into the workforce, the child support crisis is also contributing.
“The support debt in this country is up to $1.9bn unpaid child support — and that’s not the full figure, that’s the official figure,” she said.
“Completely separated from how much care men are doing for their children, they should be paying for the cost of raising their children.”
Jenny also pointed out that while more women may be working, the need to work longer hours to be on par with fathers.
“Women are leaving university at higher rates than men now, but that hasn’t translated into more female CEOs at the rate that would have been expected, more women on boards, more women in senior management, because there are points at which women are just opting out,” she said.
“It’s not just that women are choosing casual or part-time work — they are taking roles that are casual or part-time or below their university qualification in order to juggle their other responsibilities in life.”
Jenny told the Herald Sun that the government has a role to play in supporting single mothers to raise their children and participate in the workforce more equitably, saying they need to invest in greater, longer-term social security support payments for parents.
“At the end of the day, if you want to stay home and look after your own children, that shouldn’t be a luxury choice — it should be available for anyone of any gender to make,” she said.
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