A recent research by the Australian Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI) has highlighted some interesting facts, claiming that most of the women business owners in Australia do not take wages for the work they do.
According to the survey that involved 3000 female respondents, around 51 per cent of them did not pay themselves a single wage. This trend is even more common in rural areas as compared to metropolitan areas. The survey revealed certain facts that are deemed shocking by organisations representing women and advocating their rights.
The study shows that many women work all seven days a week and do not even have liberty to take some rest. Moreover, it was also highlighted that a large number of women business owners start their businesses with under $5,000.
According to AWCCI executive director Yolanda Vega, these figures are alarming and might add up to the number of women living below the poverty line. She told SmartCompany:
“It’s always hard when you are a small business owner trying to bring in an income as well as running the business, but because the majority of women are in service based industries they can’t obtain grants, contracts from industry and government and furthermore women by nature tend to give out a lot more than they should, meaning they always care about others before themselves. We feel there is potential for another one million women to be living below the poverty line. At the moment research shows the majority are women and children and the majority of people living below the poverty line after rent, are surviving on a few dollars a day.”
It is not common to see people quitting their jobs in favour of their businesses, but to see this trend among women is certainly encouraging. However, the treatment and response these women are getting have raised concerns and instead of encouraging women to set up their own enterprises this process is discouraging them. Vega urged the government to look into the matter and award more business contracts to working women and said of the current trend:
“It’s harming everybody. If you look at the big picture, women have the power of the purse and between 80-90% of consumer decisions are being made by women. If we continue to see this trend of women leaving the corporate environment and continuing to not pay themselves a wage, they won’t be able to spend.”
Photo: BlackEnterprise
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