Carers Australia

Carer Gateway - 1800 422 737
Text size
Contact Us
  • About Us

    About Us

    Who we are, what we do, and information about our organisation.

    Contact Us
    • Our Organisation
      • Our Mission
      • What We Do
      • Our Member Organisations
      • Our CEO
      • Our History
      • Contact Us
      • Feedback and Complaints
      • Donate
    • Our Governance
      • Constitution
      • Board of Directors
      • Annual Reports & Strategies
  • About Carers

    About Carers

    Key information about carers and how they can be supported.

    Who Is a Carer?
    • About Carers
      • Who Is a Carer?
      • Young Carers
      • Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Carers
      • Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Carers
      • Carers In the Workplace
      • Carer Wellbeing Survey
      • Carer Offers
  • Information for Carers

    Information for Carers

    Providing a range of information and supports to carers, such as NDIS, Aged Care and advanced care planning.

    Carer Gateway
    • Carer Discounts and Concessions
    • Digital Health Literacy
    • Disability and NDIS
      • Early Childhood Intervention
      • Mainstream and Community Supports
      • NDIS and Carers
      • Reviewing Your NDIS Plan
      • Other NDIS Supports
    • End of Life Care
      • Advance Care Planning and Advance Care Directives
      • Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care
    • Aged Care
      • My Aged Care
      • Caring For Someone With Dementia
    • Government
      • Carer Gateway
      • Centrelink Payments For Carers
  • Programs & Projects

    Programs & Projects

    Services we provide for carers, including advocacy, advice, and information.

    Young Carers Network
    • Programs
      • Young Carers Network
      • Carer-Inclusive Workplace Initiative
      • Defence and Veteran Carers Network
    • Projects
      • Mindfulness on Demand
      • SANE Forums
      • Women Who Care
    • Medicine Safety
      • Caring for someone living with pain and taking opioids
      • Opioid Medicines Information Pack and Checklist
      • Smoking cessation, nicotine products and e-cigarettes
  • Policy & Advocacy

    Policy & Advocacy

    Advocacy, engagement and research focused on achieving increased recognition and support for carers.

    • Submissions & Positions
      • Submissions
      • Position Statements
      • Carer Recognition Inquiry
      • Federal budget: what it means for carers
      • Federal Election: carers can’t quit
    • Research & Resources
      • Carer Wellbeing Survey
      • Superannuation
      • Caring Costs Us
      • Research & Reports
      • Factsheets
      • Get Involved
      • National Carer Strategy
  • News & Media

    News & Media

    Women Who Care
    • News & Articles
      • News Articles
      • Our Newsletter
      • Media Releases
      • Subscribe to the eNewsletter
    • Media Centre
      • Media Contact
      • Secret Life of Carers podcast
      • Videos
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • What We Do
    • Our History
    • Our Governance
      • Our Constitution
      • Our Member Organisations
      • Annual Reports & Strategies
      • Board of Directors
    • Our Staff
    • Contact Us
    • Donate
  • About Carers
    • Who Is a Carer?
    • Carers In the Workplace
    • Young Carers
    • Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Carers
    • Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Carers
  • Information for Carers
    • Advance Care Planning and Advance Care Directives
    • Palliative care and end-of-life care
    • NDIS and Carers
    • Reviewing Your NDIS Plan
    • Other NDIS Supports
    • Early Childhood Intervention
    • Mainstream and Community Supports
    • My Aged Care
    • Caring For Someone With Dementia
    • Carer Gateway
    • Centrelink Payments For Carers
  • Programs and Projects
    • Young Carers Network
    • Women Who Care
    • Digital Health Literacy
      • My Health Record – Authorised and Nominated Representatives
      • Advance Care Planning and Advance Care Directives
    • Mindfulness on Demand
    • SANE Forums
    • Caring for someone living with pain and taking opioids
    • Opioid Medicines Information Pack and Checklist
    • Smoking cessation, nicotine products and e-cigarettes
  • Policy & Advocacy
    • Submissions
    • Research & Reports
    • Position Statements
    • Carer Recognition Inquiry
    • Federal Budget: What it means for carers
    • Federal Election: Carers can’t quit
    • Carer Wellbeing Survey
    • Caring Costs Us
    • Factsheets
  • News & Media
    • Media Releases
    • News Articles
    • Our Newsletter
    • Subscribe to the eNewsletter
    • Media Contact
    • Secret Life of Carers podcast
    • Videos

Home  | Programs & Projects  | Women Who Care

Women Who Care

What’s on this page
An information hub for women who are carers, and employers Get involved Season 3: The Secret Life of Carers I'm a carer... I'm an employer or manager...

An information hub for women who are carers, and employers

 

It can be challenging for women to work, study or volunteer while also providing care. It can also be confusing for employers to know how to make adjustments so that carers feel supported and able to work. This information hub provides information, resources, and opportunities for both carers and employers.

This page will be updated regularly throughout 2023 to provide resources, information, and links to opportunities to support both women who care, and employers.

Women represent 7 in 10 primary carers (ABS, 2018). There is a gendered aspect to the disadvantages, associated with caring responsibilities.
Women who care are less likely to have employment. Primary carers were less likely to be in the labour force (58.8%) than other carers (76.6%) and non-carers (81.5%) (ABS, 2018).
These impacts are felt by carers of all genders. However, available data shows that obligations to fulfil care responsibilities fall disproportionally on women.

“Unpaid care and work are inherently gendered issues. They contribute to labour market inequalities, are associated with employment quality and increase the likelihood of part-time or insecure casual and contract work.119, 120 Analysis by Chief Executive Women suggests that in Australia, on average, a woman spends 43 per cent less time in paid work than a man, yet 81 per cent more time in unpaid work.121 While it is at times suggested in public discourse that women have ‘chosen’ to reduce their time in work, social norms regarding the distribution of unpaid care and work and factors such as job segmentation and pay mean that these ‘choices’ are inherently constrained.122”

She’s Price(d)less

Get involved

If you’re a carer, former carer, employer or manager who is passionate about supporting women carers to get into and stay in paid work, we would love to hear from you!

Maybe you’re a carer who has a resource which helped you navigate caring and working? Taken a course which you’ve raved about to other carers?

You might be an employer thinking about how to refresh your workplace policies to support your employees to thrive? A manager who has had someone disclose to you that they are a carer and you’re looking for ideas on how to support them?

Contact us to find out how you can get involved with or contribute to this information hub.

Season 3: The Secret Life of Carers

Our podcast ‘The Secret Life of Carers’ returns with host Jamila Rizvi for Season 3 on Friday, 30 June 2023.

This season, we speak to five fascinating women in varying stages of their career/work experience to better understand their unique challenges and address the caring employment gap.

Listen on: Apple podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google podcasts and more.

I'm a carer...

...looking for support at work

See our guide to ‘Carers in the workplace’ to learn more about your rights, and tips for talking about your caring role at work.

...looking for learning and training opportunities

There is a wide variety of learning and training opportunities, whether you’re currently working, seeking work, or looking to retrain or upskill to move to a new job.

See below for some examples, with many more to come in the near future.

Carers WA | Carers – Be Job Ready!

Carers WA has a program called 'Carers - Be Job Ready!' which supports carers in their return to employment by providing realistic information and practical skills which can be utilised to secure and maintain employment.

Find out more about the program here
Carer Gateway | Your rights when working while caring

Carer Gateway has helpful information about your rights at work, talking with your employer, and reaching an agreement.

Visit the Carer Gateway website
Carer Gateway | 12 ideas and links for working and caring

You might be an employee, as well as a carer. Many companies are developing ways to better support carers. This is good for carers, providing income, independence, and fulfillment.
Carer Gateway has outlined some ideas and helpful links on how your employer can support you and provided some links to help you discuss this topic with them.

Visit the Carer Gateway website
Harrow Carers (UK) | Transferable Caring Skills for the Workplace

Harrow Carers is a service based in the UK for unpaid carers. Being a carer gives you a wide range of experience, knowledge, and skills that you can bring to the workplace. This information dives into the many transferable skills you bring to the table.

Visit Harrow Carers website here
Future Women - Jobs Academy

Jobs Academy is a free, year long, virtual program, designed to help you find a job and build a rewarding career.

We know that if you’ve been out of work for a while, it can be daunting to start again. But with the right confidence, capabilities and connections, anything is possible. By joining Jobs Academy, you’ll become part of our vibrant community of professional women, and receive the mentoring and skills you need to reach your goals.

Future Women's Job Academy will also introduce you to employers who are looking to hire women like you, right now, to fill flexible, secure and rewarding jobs.

Find out more here
Work Force Australia

Workforce Australia is a place Australians can search and apply for jobs or find more information on their pathway to employment.

Find your next job
Salesforce Supermums

Salesforce is helping parents to realise their potential. By harnessing the power of the Salesforce eco-system they provide flexible well-paid career opportunities to those who are under or unemployed. Salesforce Superums programs have empowered trainees and volunteers from around the world to leave the program with confidence, skills, and work experience to pursue a new more flexible career.

Find out more
How to make a comeback from a career break? Authentic communication is key.

An article in Women's Agenda about career breaks. Returning to work after taking extended time off can be truly daunting. In the digital age we live in, systems and processes change daily, workplaces adapt and roles shift. It’s inevitable then, that workers may feel underprepared and out of depth upon their return from a career break.

Read here
UNSW Business School: 2023 AGSM Career Comeback Application

The initiative targets professionals returning from a career break and those in part-time or hybrid roles seeking full-time positions. Successful recipients will attend a two-day AGSM short course ‘The Authentic Communicator: Activating Presence’ from February 12 to 13 2024, held in Sydney and will gain access to AGSM’s leadership resources and events. The application deadline has been extended and we encourage you to apply now for this opportunity.

2023 AGSM Career Comeback Application

 

 

I'm an employer or manager...

...who wants to know how to support carers at work

You might know some of your employees are carers. What you might not know is how many of your employees are carers – there are 2.65 million carers in Australia!

For a range of reasons, we know that carers might not have told their manager or employer that they are a carer. Therefore, it is very important employers around the country are given the tools and information to be able to support their employees who are carers.

See our guide to ‘Carers in the workplace’ to learn more about the benefits of hiring (and retaining) carers as employees, along with practical information about your obligations.

...who wants to know more about carers

What is a carer?
Carers are people who provide unpaid care and support to family members and friends who have a disability, mental illness, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or who are frail aged. Carers are an integral part of Australia’s health system and are the foundation of our aged, disability, palliative and community care systems.

What do carers do?
Caring may include help and support with any of the daily activities of living of the person being cared for. It may include physical and personal care such as dressing, lifting, showering, toileting, feeding or providing transport. Commonly, carers are responsible for the management of medications, and also provide emotional and social support. Caring may also involve help with organising and attending appointments, banking and dealing with emergencies.

How many carers are there?
With 2.65 million carers in Australia, which is about 11% of the population, you probably know one! Every carer and their caring role is unique.

Quick facts about carers
7 out of 10 primary carers are women.
The average age of a primary carer is 54.
1 in 11 carers are under the age of 25.
(see ABS’ 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers for more information)

The Carer-Inclusive Workplace Initiative

The Carer-Inclusive Workplace initiative emerged as a result of recommendations from the Australian Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit with the aim to promote equal opportunities and reduce barriers to employment for carers.

The Initiative encourages employers to self-assess their carer inclusive practices and policies. They can then explore and initiative improvements by taking up the extensive resources available on the web hub or even consider carer inclusive accreditation in this area!

Start here
Carers WA | Creating a carer-friendly workplace

Carers WA has created a guide for employers and employees to work towards becoming a carer-friendly workplace.

Get the guide here
Carers NSW | 10 tips for a carer-friendly workplace

Carers NSW have pulled together their Top 10 Tips for a carer-friendly workplace. There are many ways that an organisation can better support carers in their workforce. Even a small, simple adjustment can make a significant difference.

Read the Top 10 Tips here
Forbes | How Businesses Can Support Their Caregiving Employees

Danielle Kost contributes to Forbes Magazine on how businesses can support their employees who are carers.

Visit the Forbes article here
Harvard Business School (US) | The Caring Company

Harvard Business School report on "How employers can help employees manage their caregiving responsibilities—while reducing costs and increasing productivity"

Report available here
Carers Employers - Vimeo Video Suite or Resources

Access 10 videos to be on your way to becoming a certified carer-friendly workplace.

Access the videos here
Carers + Employers

A project of Carers NSW supported by the NSW Government supporting carers in the workplace.

Learn about Carers + Employers here
Future Women

Future Women is the only Australian organisation of its kind. We help employers create a culture that supports and celebrates women, improving recruitment, retention and promotion.

Find out more
10-year-plan to unleash the full capacity and contribution of women to the Australian economy 2023 - 2033

The Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce was established to provide advice to the Australian Government to support the advancement of women’s economic equality and achieve gender equality, as committed to in the Women’s Budget Statements of October 2022 and May 2023.
The taskforce is an independent group of eminent women with valuable experience, expertise and insights across key economic, social and labour market contexts. All taskforce members were appointed by the Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, to provide bold and independent recommendations to Government that:
- Drive women’s equality as an economic imperative.
- Inform the National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality.
- Advise on key issues arising from the Jobs and Skills Summit in September 2022, including informing work on the Jobs and Skills white paper.
- Assist in the implementation of gender-responsive policy and budgeting processes.

Read More
Gender Equity Insights series

Using data from WGEA's Employer Census, the eighth report in the BCEC | WGEA Gender Equity Insights series has uncovered the most valuable actions employers can take to increase workplace gender equality and reduce gender pay gaps.

Gender Equity Insights 2023 series examined why progress towards narrowing gender pay gaps has been slow, and what actions and targets were needed to accelerate the pace of change.

The researchers found employers could be differentiated based on their approach to driving improved gender equity outcomes. BCEC's new ‘maturity framework’ categorises employers into four levels of maturity from 'base' to 'integrated' based on their actions.

Employers can use the maturity framework as a roadmap filled with evidence-based actions that create real change.

Learn More

This information hub is one part of Carers Australia’s ‘Women Who Care’ project. This project is supported by funding from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Women’s Leadership and Development Program.

What’s on this page
An information hub for women who are carers, and employers Get involved Season 3: The Secret Life of Carers I'm a carer... I'm an employer or manager...
Related topics
Defence and Veteran Carers Network Mindfulness on Demand Women Who Care Caring Costs Us Digital Health Literacy Carer-Inclusive Workplace Initiative
Contact Us

[email protected]

Unit 1A, 11 McKay Lane, Turner ACT 2612

Registered Charity
Subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pride flags

Carers Australia acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities as the traditional custodians of the land we work on and pay our respects to elders past and present. As an inclusive organisation we celebrate people of all backgrounds, genders, cultures, and abilities.

Disclaimer
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Sitemap
Staff Login
© Copyright 2025 Carers Australia Limited - ABN 12231938308
Site by Coordinate

Your Story is Important to Us

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Close