Mothers and Interest Rates

Mothers at mercy of interest rates

“ALMOST half of Australian women aged 25-40 said they couldn’t afford their mortgage repayments if they took time off to have a baby.

An independent survey of 855 women found 49 per cent of those of typical child-bearing age would not be able to meet mortgage repayments if they were reduced to one salary.

“It’s become a case of baby or the house — and that’s a decision women shouldn’t have to make,” said consumer marketing expert Gillian Franklin, from the Heat Group.”

The Herald Sun

The Boy’s Club

Boy’s Club Keeps Women Down

“A QUARTER of Australia’s working women say females are not treated equally in the workplace – and one in five of their male colleagues agree.In fact, nearly half of all men admit their workplace is a “bit of a boys’ club”, according to new research to be released today.”

news.com.au

Let’s file this under “O” for obvious.

Maternity Leave Survey

Govt must act on maternity leave: survey

“Forty-five per cent of women say they are not in a position to meet their mortgage repayments if they take time off to have a baby without government funded maternity leave, a new survey shows.”

The Age

How much more evidence does the government need before they realise that paid maternity leave is important. 

What Girls Say

Advocacy at the heart of Australia’s young women

“What Girls Say, a report outlining the concerns of 4,500 Australian girls aged 5 – 17 years, was launched today by Lynne Price, Chief Commissioner, Girl Guides Australia – the largest girls and young’s organisation in the country.”

Australian Women Online

Women and Superannuation

How women can restore super balance

“The Financial Literacy – women understanding money report also shows that 52 per cent of women find dealing with money is stressful, compared with 43 per cent of men. And 78 per cent have a superannuation fund, compared with 84 per cent of men.

The chairman of the foundation’s advisory board, Paul Clitheroe, said women were more likely to have time outside the paid workforce and lower incomes, which meant they would have less superannuation at retirement.”

news.com.au

Working Mums Tax Break

Tax relief for working mums cautiously welcomed

“The Women’s Electoral Lobby has welcomed planned tax cuts for working mothers, but has questioned how many women will benefit from them

Chairwoman of the Women’s Electoral Lobby , Eva Cox, says “…I suspect the bulk of that’s going to come from the increase in the childcare rebate and the problem with that is, as soon as we start getting that through I suspect some of the private childcare centres will be raising their fees so that may disappear fairly quickly.”

ABC News

It will interesting to see whether or not this will actually improve things for working mothers in the current economic climate. Any with more economic know-how then me care to enlighten us?

 

Islam, Christianity and Modesty

Hilali tells Christian women to wear veils

“Writing in a new book, Sheik Hilali…argues that the Bible and the Koran make similar demands of a woman’s modesty.

In the soon to be published The Legitimacy of the Veil for Women of the Scripture – Evidence of the Veil in the Bible, the cleric points to references in the Old and New Testaments to women wearing a veil.

“Through this I hope to raise awareness and understanding and eliminate apprehensions and misunderstandings about the veil,” he writes.”

news.com.au

Women Ordained By Anglican Church

2 women becoming bishops in Australia

“Barbara Darling, ordained one of Australia’s first female priests in 1992, is about to become the second female bishop in the Church of England in Australia.”

United Press International

It’s always nice to see a little progress.

Pre-Natal Insurance Policies

Mums can insure unborn babies in Australia

“SYDNEY (AFP) — Pregnant women will be able to insure their unborn babies against birth defects and death under a new policy, a report said Sunday.

The insurance company ING has devised a baby policy for women aged 16 to 40 which will deliver payouts of up to 50,000 dollars (46,640 US) for babies born with Down’s syndrome, spina bifida or a cleft palate, the Sun-Herald said”

This is absolutely repulsive. Just another way for society to treat women like baby making machines. This also strikes me as awfully ableist, because heaven forfend you should spawn anything less then absolute perfection. 

Breastfeeding at Work

Inflexible workplaces deter breastfeeding

“UNSUPPORTIVE work colleagues and inflexible bosses are causing women to stop breastfeeding, even when they return to work only part-time.

A study has that found part-time and casual female employees in Australia give up breastfeeding at the same rate as full-time workers.”

news.com.au

This kind of story makes me equally sad and frustrated. Sigh.