Blog

Australian women at greater risk during pandemic lockdown

Like the rest of the world, Australia is reporting a greater risk to women and children of experiencing violence during the global health pandemic.

Confirmation of the effect of government-directed restrictions that include stay-at-home orders, physical distancing, working at home and the closure of number of community services, has been explored in the results of two surveys of Queensland domestic violence practitioners.

The surveys were conducted by the Queensland Domestic Violence Services Network over two 10-day periods in April and May 2020 and surveyed the professional views of domestic violence support workers. The surveys found an increase in:
• client numbers;
• the complexity of client needs;
• in reported controlling behaviour and manipulation;
• reported perpetrator anger/violence allegedly due to reduced income or job loss due to COVID-19; and
• additional pressure and stress on practitioners as a result of the transition to remote work and increased service demand as indicated by increased reporting.

These findings were published in a Monash University report Responding to Queensland’s ‘shadow pandemic’ during the period of COVID-19 restrictions and mirror Victorian research published in June 2020. Publication of the report is intended to increase understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 global health pandemic restrictions on women’s experiences of gender-based violence and practitioners’ experiences supporting women.

In April 2020, the United Nations Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, labelled violence against women the ‘shadow pandemic’ (UN Women, 2020b), recognising the heightened risk to women and children to all forms of gender-based violence. It has been estimated that for every three months the enforced lockdown restrictions continue, an additional 15 million cases of domestic violence will occur worldwide. One of the ongoing issues is that while the risk to women increases while they are confined to their homes, their access to support is reduced.

Pfitzner, N., Fitz-Gibbon, K., Meyer, S., and True, J. (2020). Responding to Queensland’s ‘shadow pandemic’ during the period of COVID-19 restrictions: practitioner views on the nature of and responses to violence against women. Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
file:///I:/Writing/Qld%20Responding%20to%20the%20Shadow%20Pandemic%20Report%2030June20.pdf

Life during Covid-19 – early findings

After conducting a survey of over 7,000 respondents, the Australian Institute of Family Studies has released its early findings as to how people felt their lives had been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

Given that about 80% of the respondents were female with a higher educational level than the general population, it may not be completely representative but some significant trends do emerge.

Chief findings were:
 Women continued to do most of the housework as they did before the pandemic.
 The mother continued to do most of the childcare/schooling as they did before the pandemic.
 Almost half (43%) of respondents reported they or their partner had lost employment, reduced hours or wages. However 65% reported no real
change to their personal income.
 Grandparents were not able to support the families or provide childcare as before.
 Parent-only care rose from 30% before COVID-19 to 64% of families during the restrictions.
 The proportion of people always working from home rose from 7% to 60% during the restrictions.
 Young adults were disproportionately impacted by the economic downturn, being almost four times (15% vs 4%) more likely to ask for help from
government or NGOs.

Families in Australia Survey: Life during COVID-19, Report no. 1: Early findings, https://aifs.gov.au/publications/families-australia-survey-life-during-covid-19

Telehealth use increases during pandemic

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a rapid take up of telehealth. Telehealth can according be described as the delivery of any health service, remotely, usually over the phone or via video call. A service could include an online counselling session, a phone call with a general practitioner, or a video chat with a physiotherapist or allied health professional.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one in six adults aged 18 years and over (17%) used a telehealth service during early-April to early-May 2020, when the pandemic restrictions on social distancing were at their strictest.

Research by the Global Centre for Modern Ageing found that older Australians liked telehealth for its convenience, reduced travel and ability to be conducted at home. Improvements they suggested include making telehealth more available, improving tech, and providing more information around the end-to-end process, including scripts, follow-ups and referrals.

Loneliness was the most widely reported source of personal stress for Australians during April, according to the third ABS Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey.

“Around one in five people (19 per cent) also reported that they were experiencing difficulties maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which was more of a problem for those aged 18 to 64 years (22 per cent) than those aged 65 years and over (9 per cent),” added Ms Marquardt, ABS Program Manager for Household Surveys.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, telehealth was most commonly used to make it easier for people in remote communities to access expert healthcare. However since the coronavirus pandemic, government policy has encouraged telehealth availability with the added benefit that the service can be bulk-billed.

Global Centre for Modern Ageing research, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ae17ed32971146319f879ca/t/5eeebc167250ac3a2ce07f1d/1592704027892/Telehealth+Here+to+Stay+GCMA+research+report.pdf

Seniors’ Stories Volume 6 writing competition

One hundred stories have been selected to appear in volume 6 of Seniors’ Stories to be published later this year.

Amongst those to be included is my story titled, Bent but not broken, a reflection on my mother’s legacy both personal and creative. A whole life in one thousand words or less is never adequate. So I focused on her leaving a war-ravaged Europe to live in a new country, start her own business and create beautiful, original jewellery pieces that still please.

The theme for this year’s competition was Resilience.

In 2013 the NSW Government introduced this initiative and invited holders of the NSW Seniors Card to contribute short stories to this anthology.
The series of books is a way of recognising and valuing the experiences of seniors and sharing their knowledge with younger generations.

The anthology will be launched at NSW Parliament House in October.

Not quite the shortlist – the Peter Carey Short Story Award

Every writer wants a little recognition occasionally. Hard to write a best-seller so often we enter short story competitions to hone our skills and get a little publicity.
So it was really gratifying to have one of my stories, Once were three sisters, recognised in the longlist for the 2020 Peter Carey Short Story Award. Out of over 300 entries, 18 short stories were chosen to get into the longlist. The winner will be announced on 13 June.

Peter Carey AO is an Australian novelist now living in New York who has won the Miles Franklin Award three times and won the Booker Prize twice. His received his first Booker Prize in 1988 for Oscar and Lucinda, and the second time in 2001 with True History of the Kelly Gang.

Organised every year by the Moorabool Shire Council, the short story competition is for stories of 2000–3000 words, and is open to all Australian residents. The winner receives $1000 and the runner-up receives $500, with both stories to be published in the Spring 2020 edition of Meanjin.

Other longlist entries are: https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2020/05/14/150542/peter-carey-short-story-award-2020-longlist-announced/

Planning for retirement – online

The Women’s Library and the Older Women’s Network are pleased to present a great conversation with the author of “Every Woman’s Guide to Retirement”.

About the author

As a practising lawyer for over 30 years, Alice Mantel worked in diverse
areas of practice – crime, family law and finally elder law. It has given
her a humane perspective of the legal issues that can arise and confidence
in providing practical advice to uncertain readers. Facing retirement
herself, Alice tried to find the answers to her own questions about aged
care, about working and making the right choice with her superannuation.

Before long, Alice realised that others were experiencing the same dilemmas
and she started to research a book that comprehensively covered those
typical concerns.

Alice brings her own life experience as a parent, caring for her own parent
and listening to others to this book. Currently she is still working as a
professional writer as well as volunteering on a community bank board and
participating in a number of community organisations.

You can submit your questions beforehand to info@ownnsw.org.au

There will also be an opportunity to ask Alice questions during the event.

Share event https://events.humanitix.com/every-woman-s-guide-to-retirement Share event https://events.humanitix.com/every-woman-s-guide-to-retirement

FREE

Date and time
Thu 28th May 2020, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm AEST
Add to calendar

Aged Care Commission calls for submissions on impact of COVID-19

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety is calling for submissions from the general public and organisations relating to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the aged care sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on all aspects of Australia’s economy and society, including the delivery of aged care services. In order to understand that impact fully, the Commissioners are seeking the views of those people directly affected.

The Commissioners would like to receive submissions from recipients of aged care services, families or supporters of recipients, aged care service providers, and those who work in aged care. The Commissioners understand, however, that some of these people and organisations may not yet be in a position to make a submission, because they are dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 upon the delivery of aged care services.

In March, in response to COVID-19, the Commissioners limited public access to hearings and workshops before suspending them altogether in order to minimise the risk to members of the public and to staff of the Royal Commission. Consultations with the aged care sector were also halted to allow those working in the sector to focus their energies on managing the pandemic.

While the public-facing work has been on hold the Royal Commission has continued work on an extensive body of research that commenced in 2019. The research covers a range of topics including the funding and financing of the aged care sector; public attitudes towards the aged and aged care in Australia; public attitudes to aged care funding; and the financial viability of the sector. This research will be released to the public in the coming months.

The Royal Commission’s timeframe for the resumption of hearings, workshops and group consultations remains the subject of ongoing review by the Commissioners. The deadline for submissions is 30 June 2020, but that deadline is also subject to ongoing review, given the effects of COVID-19.

More information on how to make a submission can be found at https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/submissions/Pages/default.aspx

28 April 2020

Isolate and thrive

By Alice Mantel

In this uncertain period, we may have increased the physical distance between each other but we can still be socially connected. It might just require more motivation (and self-discipline to use the words of one very important person).

Here are my suggestions about how to make the most of this enforced retreat from the busy world:

Daily rituals – find a special way to welcome the morning, or the approaching night, perhaps just by paying attention in silent stillness.

Enjoy the solitude – doing things that you like, You could read a book (including downloading a digital version from your library), listen to podcasts, play loud music, take up an instrument you have ignored for a while, flip through photo albums or dance while no one is watching. You could even write your memoirs.

Connect with others – call friends and contacts, by phone or with video calls, or celebrate your special days by hosting an online party. Do a jigsaw puzzle with a family member. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 if you don’t feel in control of your mental stress or anxiety.

Share – your recipes, your patterns, your ideas – through a curated social media diet or a blog your own thoughts. Use digital media to stay informed.

Create something new – take up painting, sewing, pottery making, knitting again. Find a live streamed class to join. Cook new meals or cakes that you have always wanted to try.

Develop your sense of purpose – reach out and support your neighbours, your school, or disadvantaged groups by volunteering, donating money or following their media posts.

Revise and re-evaluate the obvious – what is in your cupboards, your bookshelves, your kitchen pantry, or your bottom drawers?

Stay active – participate in online classes like yoga or dance classes, walk/run in the fresh air in local parks, breathe deeply on your balcony, set up a home gym using items found around your home, or take up golf or tennis.

Care for yourself – catch up on some sleep, rationalise your old clothes, give yourself an organic facial, throw out old makeup, dress to impress yourself.

Go gardening – pruning, weeding, planting, reorganising your pot plants, buying more plants, mulch and fertilise.

Avoid– non-essential online shopping, too much couch time watching streamed movie marathons, and drinking more alcohol to pass the time.

Six minutes interview

This story appeared in the March 2020 issue of the NSW Law Society Journal:

BY AMY DALE – FEB 27, 2020

Alice Mantel is an experienced lawyer and adviser on the challenges that many women encounter during retirement. She talks about family law, homelessness, and why just planning one big overseas trip won’t cut it for the final third of your life.

What experiences as a lawyer shaped your decision to advise on planning for retirement?
I spent around 10 years practising family and then elder law. In family law particularly, I was surprised and then concerned about how little many of my clients knew about their own personal financial circumstances. Often, they did not know if their name was on the title of the property, or how much was owed on the mortgage or credit cards. Again, when acting for older clients, often they left making their wills or power of attorney until very late, when there was pressure from their children, which, as you can appreciate, is a very difficult situation for any lawyer. It brought home to me that women need to be prepared much sooner for the unexpected.

What inspired you to write your book, Every Woman’s Guide to Retirement?
I started writing this book before I retired. I was initially doing research to answer my own questions. Years ago, when placing my mother into a nursing home, I realised how difficult it was to find any sensible information to assist me. More recently, I wanted some guidance when I was thinking about closing my practice. After a while, I decided that most books or articles did not seem very relevant to me. They were often very friendly but aimed at chaps who were fairly well off or aimed at women who presumably intended to spend the last third of their life on continual holidays. My research gradually grew into a book that is far more extensive than I had ever contemplated and includes mundane topics like accessing your pension as well as more interesting options such as lifelong learning or starting a new relationship.

What issues specifically apply to women? Bulk of carer responsibilities, less superannuation, longer life span?
I see retirement as very different for women than men. Generally, women are the main carers for their parents, children, partners and grandchildren. At the same time, they come into retirement with significantly less financial resources but live on average five years longer. If they do not have enough resources, those last years are going to be close to living in poverty. It can be a very grim prospect if a woman’s health begins to suffer and there is not always the certainty that your children will be there to look after you.

Women aged 55 and above are the fastest-growing cohort at risk of homelessness. How can we do more to ensure financial security?
It is no surprise to me that older women are at risk of homelessness. It can begin if they lose their home in a divorce settlement and cannot recover financially, but also if they are unable to find work and remain unemployed, either as a result of their own or their children’s health issues. When super funds talk about having a modest retirement, or a comfortable retirement, there is always an unspoken assumption that the retiree owns their own home. That’s ridiculous and increasingly unlikely as recent figures have demonstrated. We need to make a secure home a realistic possibility for everyone.

What about social planning for retirement? How can people prepare themselves to leave the workforce and feel at ease that a happy and fulfilling future is still ahead of them?
Most women retiring today can expect to have another 20 years of relatively good health, so it simply isn’t enough to plan your one big overseas trip and think that’s all there is to it. For working women, one of the major issues around retirement is the loss of their work identity, the loss of income and the social connectedness that professional life brings. We need to plan at least a year ahead of retirement about how we can use our skills and experience in the non-employment sphere – and let me assure you, that is a very large sphere. There are so many not-for-profit agencies looking for directors on their boards or volunteers for their operations. Not having to follow a work routine means you can finally pursue your real passion – whether it is art, woodwork, or caring for your grandkids and even if it might take a little time to find what that is, it will give real meaning to the legacy you leave.