Data reveals toll of COVID-19 on women – Ballarat Courier

Ballarat resident Lisa Laine is holding on to the hope she can secure a job in the next month to be able to support her family, before her JobKeeper payment halves. Ms Laine was stood down from her casual job at Sovereign Hill and the three acting gigs she had lined up were cancelled when COVID-19 hit. Her partner lost his job weeks later and when lockdown hit they became busy helping home school their five children they care for five days a week. “I have got a huge amount of stress,” she said. “My family is back in the position of not being able to make ends meet after September 27. That date is looming for me.” Ms Laine said she had applied for more than 20 jobs ranging from admin, data entry and call centre to factory work, but she has not heard back from any of them. “Before I went into professional acting I was a mother for quite a number of years and before that I was working in HR, but we are talking about experience that is 15 years old,” she said. “On one hand I have been blessed to have a career as an actor but on the other hand it has hamstrung me in a global pandemic. The arts sector has copped a real blow. The acting roles are heavily reduced. “Even if I was working I just can’t imagine how hard that is for working parents to have to home school as well.” Ms Laine said she was stressed and worried she may not be able to earn an income for her family, as when her JobKeeper payment is halved at the end of September, they would not be able to make ends meet. “I am looking at for the first time perhaps studying in an area like community services where I think I would be a good fit, but you have to be qualified to work in community services,” she said. “The course doesn’t start until February next year and I have got two years ahead of me, so how is my family going to survive in that time? “I have applied for countless jobs and I literally don’t know what I am going to do. I am holding on by faith that we are going to be okay but that is all I have got at the moment.” Women are bearing the brunt of job losses in Victoria, according to a McKell Institute discussion paper on the impact of COVID-19 on women and work. Many female dominated industries such as accommodation and food services, and arts and recreation, have been among the hardest hit by job losses during the pandemic. READ MORE: Coronavirus in Ballarat: Women’s jobs hit hardest by COVID-19 There has been a 7.1 per cent decline in the number of Victorian women in jobs since March 2020, as measured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics collection of weekly payroll data. In July, the rate of female job loss was almost five times the rate for men – and that was before the second lockdown began. ABS monthly labour force data shows we now have the highest number of Victoria women who are unemployed, ever. The discussion paper says women are more likely to have casual or insecure work than their male colleagues, something Ms Laine said she had chosen to also manage majority of family responsibilities. “It means unfortunately in this situation I have suffered the most financially because I carry the load of the family predominantly,” she said. RELATED COVERAGE: Study reveals who has been most affected by COVID-19 A Melbourne Institute survey has revealed around 47 per cent of women reported feeling depressed or anxious during the last week – 30 per cent some of the time and 17 per cent most of the time. Michelle O’Brien was transitioning her equine therapy program based at her property in Millbrook to a private practice when COVID-19 hit. Her eight week programs were fully booked with schools and youth support groups from April, but all had to be cancelled when social distancing and restrictions were introduced, effectively meaning she could not run her business. Ms O’Brien has since tried to run counselling and breathing sessions online and re-introduced one day of the equine therapy program a week in line with health department guidelines. “The word isolating comes up so much. That is the only word that really describes it,” she said. “It is isolating. I am grateful for technology, it is brilliant, but I have worked in welfare for over 15 years and working in a team was brilliant. “All of a sudden you are home battling to run your own business and it feels very lonely.” Ms O’Brien feels other people’s emotions acutely. She said she cried after having lunch at a restaurant the day before lockdown, after speaking with staff and feeling other people’s sense of sadness and anxiety. She said she was also concerned about people with disabilities who had their support services reduced due to COVID-19. “Personally our son had an accident last year and has been in a wheelchair since,” Ms O’Brien said. ‘He had services involved with him up until March and then because of COVID the services were all pulled. So my husband and I support him. “That made me think about how lucky we are that we have each other and we can support him with what he needs, but what about those people with a disability who haven’t got someone. “I think sometimes you don’t even know it has impacted you until something triggers you.” The McKell Institute discussion paper said a mix of poor policy like the early access to superannuation program and ill-considered decisions like the cessation of free childcare and ending JobKeeping in childcare centres, had not been supportive to women across the country. HESTA analysed early access withdrawals from its predominantly female members and found members aged between 18 and 24 had virtually drained their accounts. A national survey by The Parenthood showed the removal of free childcare could have a serious negative effect on workforce participation. “A program of comprehensive government support is required for our recovery that will create and sustain jobs over the medium to long term and the design of that support must take account of the particular impacts this crisis is having on women,” the McKell Institute discussion paper said. If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat’s story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.

Ballarat resident Lisa Laine is holding on to the hope she can secure a job in the next month to be able to support her family, before her JobKeeper payment halves.

STUCK: Sovereign Hill casual worker and actress Lisa Laine has applied for dozens of jobs since she lost work due to COVID-19. Pictures: Adam Trafford

Ms Laine was stood down from her casual job at Sovereign Hill and the three acting gigs she had lined up were cancelled when COVID-19 hit.

Her partner lost his job weeks later and when lockdown hit they became busy helping home school their five children they care for five days a week.

“I have got a huge amount of stress,” she said.

“My family is back in the position of not being able to make ends meet after September 27. That date is looming for me.”

It means unfortunately in this situation I have suffered the most financially because I carry the load of the family predominantly,

Lisa Laine, Ballarat resident

Ms Laine said she had applied for more than 20 jobs ranging from admin, data entry and call centre to factory work, but she has not heard back from any of them.

“Before I went into professional acting I was a mother for quite a number of years and before that I was working in HR, but we are talking about experience that is 15 years old,” she said.

“On one hand I have been blessed to have a career as an actor but on the other hand it has hamstrung me in a global pandemic. The arts sector has copped a real blow. The acting roles are heavily reduced.

“Even if I was working I just can’t imagine how hard that is for working parents to have to home school as well.”

Ms Laine said she was stressed and worried she may not be able to earn an income for her family, as when her JobKeeper payment is halved at the end of September, they would not be able to make ends meet.

“I am looking at for the first time perhaps studying in an area like community services where I think I would be a good fit, but you have to be qualified to work in community services,” she said.

“The course doesn’t start until February next year and I have got two years ahead of me, so how is my family going to survive in that time?

“I have applied for countless jobs and I literally don’t know what I am going to do. I am holding on by faith that we are going to be okay but that is all I have got at the moment.”

Many female dominated industries such as accommodation and food services, and arts and recreation, have been among the hardest hit by job losses during the pandemic.

There has been a 7.1 per cent decline in the number of Victorian women in jobs since March 2020, as measured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics collection of weekly payroll data.

In July, the rate of female job loss was almost five times the rate for men – and that was before the second lockdown began.

ABS monthly labour force data shows we now have the highest number of Victoria women who are unemployed, ever.

The discussion paper says women are more likely to have casual or insecure work than their male colleagues, something Ms Laine said she had chosen to also manage majority of family responsibilities.

“It means unfortunately in this situation I have suffered the most financially because I carry the load of the family predominantly,” she said.

A Melbourne Institute survey has revealed around 47 per cent of women reported feeling depressed or anxious during the last week – 30 per cent some of the time and 17 per cent most of the time.

ON HOLD: Michelle O’Brien runs equine therapy at her Millbrook property.

Michelle O’Brien was transitioning her equine therapy program based at her property in Millbrook to a private practice when COVID-19 hit.

Her eight week programs were fully booked with schools and youth support groups from April, but all had to be cancelled when social distancing and restrictions were introduced, effectively meaning she could not run her business.

Ms O’Brien has since tried to run counselling and breathing sessions online and re-introduced one day of the equine therapy program a week in line with health department guidelines.

“The word isolating comes up so much. That is the only word that really describes it,” she said.

“It is isolating. I am grateful for technology, it is brilliant, but I have worked in welfare for over 15 years and working in a team was brilliant.

“All of a sudden you are home battling to run your own business and it feels very lonely.”

Ms O’Brien feels other people’s emotions acutely. She said she cried after having lunch at a restaurant the day before lockdown, after speaking with staff and feeling other people’s sense of sadness and anxiety.

She said she was also concerned about people with disabilities who had their support services reduced due to COVID-19.

“Personally our son had an accident last year and has been in a wheelchair since,” Ms O’Brien said.

‘He had services involved with him up until March and then because of COVID the services were all pulled. So my husband and I support him.

“That made me think about how lucky we are that we have each other and we can support him with what he needs, but what about those people with a disability who haven’t got someone.

“I think sometimes you don’t even know it has impacted you until something triggers you.”

The McKell Institute discussion paper said a mix of poor policy like the early access to superannuation program and ill-considered decisions like the cessation of free childcare and ending JobKeeping in childcare centres, had not been supportive to women across the country.

HESTA analysed early access withdrawals from its predominantly female members and found members aged between 18 and 24 had virtually drained their accounts.

A national survey by The Parenthood showed the removal of free childcare could have a serious negative effect on workforce participation.

“A program of comprehensive government support is required for our recovery that will create and sustain jobs over the medium to long term and the design of that support must take account of the particular impacts this crisis is having on women,” the McKell Institute discussion paper said.

If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat’s story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.

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