Fire, flood, drought, and economic
downturn may also contribute to overwork
for farmers.
Image: iStockphoto
The third national Australian Work and Life Index report has found that the pressures on rural women are increasing, with mothers in rural and regional areas showing some of the worst effects.
The latest report released by the University of South Australia’s Centre for Work + Life shows that many Australian women are reporting that they often or always feel pressed for time in their bid to balance family, work and community life.
Overall the 2009 AWALI survey results show that, all women, parents, managers and those working in accommodation and food services and professional/scientific and technical services, health care and social assistance have the poorest work-life fit.
Director of the Centre for Work + Life and lead researcher, Professor Barbara Pocock says the picture for all Australian women is not great.
Women at all stages of their lives are feeling pressured, but in rural and regional Australia they appear to be more strained than men in the country,” Prof Pocock said.
Overall 38.7 per cent of mothers working full-time would prefer to reduce their working hours and two thirds of all women working full–time report frequently feeling rushed and pressed for time. Nearly one-third of these women report that work often or always interferes with their lives outside of work.
The results in this survey show that women are feeling increased pressure from work and we have a strong indication that women living in rural and regional areas are feeling an extra burden.
We need to understand better what is happening to regional and rural women.
But we already know some things about what might be happening. Commuting long distances to and from work – almost a given for rural and regional women – increases worker stress and eats into family time.
We also know that in certain parts of Australia people have been really feeling the pinch with drought, flood and fire as well as the global economic downturn.
I suspect more rural and regional mothers are working outside the home, while continuing with their regular commitments to family and children, the community or possibly the family business or the farm.
If you add all those factors together it is a big load to be dealing with on a daily basis.”
Editor's Note:
Original news release can be found here.
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