Women And Australias Retirement Income System PDF Download

Women are more likely to face financial insecurity and poverty in retirement than men, as the current superannuation system favours higher income earners who work full time and continuously throughout their working lives. Through qualitative and quantitative research, this report provides insights into the lives behind this gendered superannuation poverty in Australia. It presents a statistical overview of women and work using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Study, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. The report then presents findings from interviews with 40 women, exploring the complex dynamics of women's lives that may result in inequity in superannuation accumulation and financial security in later life. The report concludes with recommendations for policy and superannuation and calls for a fairer retirement income system that adequately recognises and rewards women for the enormous but often indirect contribution they make to the Australian economy.