Monthly Archive for January, 2010

What about the gender pension gap?

Much attention is given to the gender pay gap, but one hears much less about the increasing gender pension gap –  a growing problem in most countries.

Pension systems are usually based on employment related contributions.  Women’s working patterns – long career breaks because of child rearing, part-time work , lower salaries and lower retirement ages – all result in reduced pension benefits.  Many women rely upon their partners for retirement income, but this is not always a secure option.  Coupled with their longer life expectancy,  these factors are forcing older women into the poorest demographic groups in many nations.

One solution would be for women to increase optional contributions to pension schemes, but during the economic downturn, fewer women can afford to save, especially those with dependent children.

Some developed countries try to compensate  for these differences through systems providing a universal minimum pension and credits for child rearing years. A few have even established pension schemes based on residence instead of employment or family work.

What is the situation in your country? How can the gender pension gap be addressed?  Most young women  do not think about the later impact of “lost” working years, lower salaries and part-time hours. How do you think women can build a financially secure future?

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What is the future of volunteerism?

Attracting volunteers in the 21st century is a challenge. While some research shows that volunteering has remained steady over recent years, IFUW and other women’s organizations have seen their membership figures slowly decreasing. It is therefore important to understand what kind of organizations and activities are still attracting volunteers.

Apart from the economic and social benefits to the state and community-building, individual benefits seem to be an important aspect of volunteering. On Wikipedia one can read: “volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to improve human quality of life, …but people also volunteer for their own skill development, …to meet others …and to have fun”.

What do volunteers look for today? What kind of organizations and activities interest them? Are the individual benefits of volunteering becoming more important? Does IFUW need to change to better meet the needs of the new volunteers?

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