Working mums caught in ‘career quicksand’
THE POPULATION IS AGEING AND WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO HAVE PEOPLE RETIRING AT 55 OR 60 – AUSTRALIANS NEED TO WORK LONGER
WORKING mums are “stuck in quicksand’’ as their careers suffer once they have kids or reach menopause, Australia’s chief scientist has warned.
Dr Cathy Foley said women workers feel “judged for their parenting decisions’’.
“It is troubling to hear women saying that going part-time at work damaged their careers,” Dr Foley told the Institute of Public Administration on Wednesday.
“On the other side of the coin, I have heard from women who felt judged for going back to work too soon.’’
Dr Foley said bosses must ensure women’s careers “don’t get stuck in quicksand once children come along” – and to be more aware of how menopause affects middleaged workers.
She said Australia needs more women trained in science and technology – yet fewer than one in 10 female school leavers study the subjects at university, compared with one in three men.
Dr Foley, a physicist, said too many women qualified in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) are dropping out of the workforce
DR CATHY FOLEY
once they have children or reach middle age.
The nation’s top science adviser said border bans on immigration will force Australia to rely on the “valuable pool” of older and experienced workers.
She called on employers to be mindful of the impact of menopause, which can cause many middle-aged women debilitating symptoms including mood swings, feverish “hot flushes’’, insomnia and osteoporosis.
“We need to keep women in work through their 50s and 60s,’’ she said.
“The population is ageing and we can no longer afford to have people retiring at 55 or 60 – Australians need to work longer. Unless we find ways to better support women during menopause, we risk losing the skills and leadership of women in their 40s and 50s.’’
Dr Foley said menopause “is not discussed enough’’.
“It’s not as though it’s a small group – half the population goes through menopause,’’ she said.
“Women often avoid speaking to managers about their symptoms because managers are men or they’re younger … women are leaving work because of it.”
Dr Foley said a UK inquiry had found that a million women in the UK have left their jobs due to menopause symptoms – and some were suing for discrimination.
“That is just the point in their careers when they should be in senior positions – the trailblazers and role models for younger people,’’ she said.
“A growing number of women in the UK are launching employment discrimination cases as a result of menopause.’’
Dr Foley said the Covid-19 pandemic had cut off a stream of skilled migrants.
“The older workforce provides one of the solutions and we should be using it.’’