Calls to value unpaid carers
A new report from the Australian Human Rights Commission suggests 11 areas of reform that will value unpaid caring in Australia and remove the lifelong disadvantage experienced by many people who care.
A new report from the Australian Human Rights Commission suggests 11 areas of reform that will value unpaid caring in Australia and remove the lifelong disadvantage experienced by many people who care.
The report titled Investing in care: Recognising and valuing those who care revealed the majority of caring in the community was undertaken by women, and the superannuation, taxation and employment systems severely disadvantaged them.
Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, claimed people who make the valuable contribution and personal sacrifices of caring for parents, in-laws, children, grandchildren and others in our community with disability, chronic illness or frailty due to old age, were penalised by a system that “does not recognise this invaluable personal and socio-economic contribution”.
Statistics in 2009 show 5.5 million women and men between the ages of 15 and 64 undertake unpaid care in Australia.
Commissioner Broderick said the report was intended as a discussion paper that would “kickstart” consideration of potential policy reforms in Australia.
“There is no single initiative that will solve this problem – we will need a combination of reforms to achieve change in relation to unpaid caring.”
Real change would require thinking and commitment from government, industry, small and large businesses, employers, employees, unions – all those who do the work of unpaid care, and those who are cared for.
Read an overview of the Investing in care: Recognising and valuing those who care report.
