Careless to Careful Activation - Making Activation Work for Women

Published: Thursday, November 22, 2012

The planned changes to the social welfare system in the upcoming budget will lock women in a triple burden of care, domestic work and precarious employment if their needs are not addressed, a new report by the National Women's Council and SIPTU shows. Joan Burton TD, Minister for Social Protection launched the research study 'Careless to Careful Activation: Making Activation Work For Women' on 22 November.

On the occasion of the report launch Orla O'Connor, Director of the National Women's Council of Ireland, said:

'Women need flexibility and support to take up work. For many women the lack of affordable childcare and inflexible working arrangements are key barriers to employment.  The planned changes in the social welfare system will only increase the pressure on women and must be halted. We need to design a social welfare system that tackles barriers to work for women and supports women on their pathway into employment.'

Dr Mary Murphy, NUI Maynooth, who conducted the research said:

'Currently women are forced into full time poorly paid jobs which locks them into a triple burden of care, domestic work and precarious employment. Any social contract between claimants and the State needs to be embedded in an ethic of care that recognises the right to work part time and regulates against poor quality and precarious work.'

Ethel Buckley, SIPTU said;

'The ultimate goal of labour market activation is employment.  The quality of employment into which workers are activated is critical.  The evidence is that low paid employment traps workers, particularly women, in precarious jobs driving them into poverty – the working poor.  What we need to ensure is that workers are activated into decent work: work that is productive, secure and delivers a reasonable standard of living.'  

The report 'Careless to Careful Activation: Making Activation Work For Women' was funded by the Equality Authority. It recommends that the new Intreo service adopts a woman-friendly model of labour market activation that provides flexible support and training to women to move on to long term employment.

Full version of report 'Careless to Careful Activation: Making Activation work for Women'