Introduction

This paper examines the experience of Australian women during recent recessions in order to construct a framework within which the policy response to the current recession can be assessed and improved. The recessions of the early 1980s and the early 1990s are examined and compared with the brief experience so far of the present recession.

The paper considers the important issue of the extent to which the stimulus policy emphasises infrastructure and other construction projects, areas that tend to be biased towards the employment of males. The concern here is that women may miss out on job opportunities.

A second issue is the fact that women fare differently in recessions from men. Their experience is not necessarily more adverse but the concern is that policies designed to address the hardship of people in the recession need also to take account of women’s unique circumstances. That is, policies should be sensitive to gender differences and appropriately targeted.

In this paper, the recent state of the economy is considered as being in recession. This term is used loosely and the paper sidesteps discussion of the existence or otherwise of a technical recession. The fact is there has been a serious downturn in the Australian economy with a significant decline in employment opportunities and the forecasts suggest it will get worse.

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