The Daily

Walkley award-winning author and commentator, Jane Caro’s Accidental Feminists launches this week. Caro argues that a lifetime of low pay, places older Australian women in a very precarious situation. Their vulnerability is compounded by the intersection of ageism and sexism, which makes it easier for older women to lose their jobs, and harder for them to find new ones.

In the mix is possible financial illiteracy, and the gender pay gap, reckoned to be about 18%. We’re quick to say, it takes a village to raise a child, but in fact the burden falls disproportionately on women, who often end up caring for their grandchildren, and their own parents and grandparents. With lots of time out of the workforce Australian women often enter their so-called third age, with little to no superannuation, setting them up to rely on very low Centrelink benefits.

For a more from Jane Caro on Accidental Feminists, listen here.