There was no escaping the cost of abandoning this obligation, as demonstrated clearly by more than fourteen International and Australian speakers at the JERA International Who Cares! National forum in Melbourne on Monday 20 February 2017.

economic Security 4 Women (eS4W), one of five National Women’s Alliances funded through the Federal Government, partnered with JERA (Justice Equality Rights Access ) International to put the spotlight on this critically important topic. According to Ms Roselynne Anderson, Chair of eS4W, “As a society, Australia has a social and moral obligation to all our citizens, including the Care Economy; that is, those who receive and those who deliver care, in all its forms and stages, from birth to death.”

Invited guests and participants included an international delegation from Sri Lanka, representatives of the academic, government, non-government, not for profit and community sectors – all of whom were unanimous in their agreement. Australia MUST have a professional debate on the themes and priorities identified at the forum, particularly in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. “A life course approach to care is essential; ensuring work and employability, and creating fair and equal access to skills development and lifelong opportunities”, concluded Ms Anderson.

eS4W will be actively engaging with the wider Care community to ensure increased awareness and understanding, by both the public and the media, of the priorities, problems and in many cases devastating issues faced by many in the sector. This will result in greater consensus on how to effectively address the Care Economy and related matters.

eS4W believes that a collective effort towards a coordinated solution for the Care Economy is the best way forward for Australia to meet its human rights obligations for all Australians.

Media contact: Roselynne Anderson, eS4W Chair, M: 0418 715 359 chair@security4women.org.au