Boost childcare pay, recognise women's work in the home,  says Rethink Ireland boss

"Our attitude to childcare must change. Too many women struggle without the flexibility and means to work outside the home," says Rethink Ireland CEO

Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland, says Budget 2023 needs to address the issue of childcare, valuing care in the home as a job, tackling a root cause of poverty to benefit society as a whole.

Ireland needs to address the care imbalance in the home, and greatly improve working conditions in the professional childcare sector to enhance the economic mobility of women, says Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland.

To boost women’s economic mobility, she says, Budget 2023 needs to address the issue of childcare, and to value care in the home and as a job in order to tackle a root cause of poverty to benefit society as a whole.

Rethink Ireland supports the National Women’s Council of Ireland’s call for universal public childcare, starting with an additional investment in 2023 to address affordability for low-income families and workforce pay; and for support for low-income workers to care by increasing maternity, paternity and parental leave payments to €280 per week to bring them more in line with EU norms.

“There is an opportunity now to make progress. Our attitude to childcare must change,” said Deirdre Mortell. “This is not only an issue that affects women, but also impacts on families and society at large, directly contributing to increased poverty rates nationally. Too many women struggle without the flexibility and means to work outside the home and upskill through education, or they find themselves in low-paid, insecure employment in the childcare sector.

“Tackling the unequal distribution of childcare work by valuing it in the home and as an economic and employment sector, will increase women’s economic mobility, supporting a stronger economy, underpinned, crucially, by increased well-being.” 

Underlying the urgent need for reduced childcare costs and support for childcare workers in Ireland is the negative impact of disproportionate childcare responsibilities on women.

In Ireland, women with children report doing 42.6 hours of care a week. Men in the same position report conducting only 25.2 hours, ESRI figures show. When the care burden increased hugely during the pandemic, women were the ones to take on the extra responsibilities — even while engaged in full-time employment.

During the pandemic, unemployment among women has doubled, while domestic violence reports rose by 25%.

Unpaid care work has also become a norm for women, with 71% of women providing care for children, adults, or both, in their homes.

Rethink Ireland provides cash grants and business support to charities and social enterprises working in Irish communities. Rethink Ireland manages the Mná na hÉireann, Women of Ireland Fund, a €2.2m fund over four years, created by Rethink Ireland with Bank of America and the Irish Government.

It is the first fund in Ireland to support charities and social enterprises that seek to enhance the economic mobility of women. Since the Fund began in 2020, 786 women have been empowered into sustainable employment and 465 women have achieved accredited training.

“We spoke to some of the women we work with through the Mná na hÉireann, Women of Ireland Fund, about the impact of childcare responsibilities in the home,” said Deirdre Mortell. “Some pointed to the negative impact on their career of delaying a return to work. The need to have a childminder ‘on stand-by’ was a barrier.

“The pressure to always be available to provide care and a lack of support were also reported. To enable women to return to the workforce we must look at sustainable options. Currently, the cost of a return to work in terms of income lost is unsustainable.” 

For women surveyed by Mná na hÉireann, the key theme was the inability to plan ahead, to look towards the future in terms of further learning and their careers. One woman pointed out that she ‘can’t see a future’ where she is economically mobile.

Women also reported that working in the home can be isolating, particularly where that work is not valued. While some women may make the decision to re-enter the workforce, those we spoke to highlight the need to understand the ‘importance of homemakers’, not as a lifestyle choice but as a vital role to play in society. By valuing the role of carer and providing sufficient support and benefits, the disparity in economic mobility can be improved.

OECD surveys also show that women are also overrepresented in the professional care work sector.

“The lack of career progression, inconsistent working hours, low pay and lack of sick leave or a pension, have been repeatedly flagged to us by women we connect with through our Mná na hÉireann Fund,” said Deirdre Mortell.

“According to the women we spoke to, low pay and benefits in this sector leave them at a disadvantage. This in turn negatively impacts women’s overall economic empowerment and financial sustainability.

“By undervaluing the profession, we erode job satisfaction in this important role. Improving job security and benefits makes sense in a sector providing an essential service.” 

Rethink Ireland is calling for an urgent response to revalue the role of women working in the home to create a more inclusive Ireland. 

Rethink Ireland works with companies, families, individuals and foundations that understand new thinking in Ireland is needed. Funds raised by Rethink Ireland are matched by the Irish Government from the Dormant Accounts Fund.