What is Catch Up 4 Women?
Catch Up 4 Women is a bold Family Life initiative that seeks to identify better strategies for raising awareness and educating women about what they need to know, and be prepared for, in order to age well, in control of their circumstances.
The Catch Up 4 Women program brings women together to learn, socialise and support each other and facilitate engagement with specialist advice and resources. General learning is proposed through coaching or mentorship to develop a plan customised to each individual’s circumstances.
Hear more about Catch Up from former Family Life CEO Jo Cavanagh and some volunteers who have contributed to the project. Watch this short video:
Why do we need Catch Up 4 Women?
Our research findings uncovered evidence that women, ethnic minorities, and people who are divorced, widowed or never married are especially vulnerable to negative wealth shocks. The risk is equally severe regardless of people’s initial net wealth – being richer before the shock is not a protective factor.
Read the detailed report: Women’s Wellbeing in Older Age: Opportunities for Risk Prevention and Early Intervention.
There are many contributing factors that have been blamed for older women not having the financial means or financial capability to remain in the family home. These include:
- the predicted population growth of people aged over 65
- domestic violence
- a decreased market for casual jobs
- women now finding themselves single due to death or separation
Many women are coming to the end of their careers and have less superannuation than men, due to:
- time out from the workforce
- raising children
- gender inequality in wages
Jo Cavanagh OAM, former Family Life CEO wrote an article; The Catch Up Project – A Collaborative Initiative to Empower Women, which was originally published by The Australian Financial Review’s Women of Influence.
What is the solution?
Following community consultation, Family Life has developed a program to support older women as they age.
Catch Up 4 Women is a customisable local program to strengthen knowledge, skills and connections with specifically developed materials and resources including a thorough mentor training program, dedicated Facebook group, targeted App, mentor handbook and a insightful report detailing the drivers of the initiative and the solutions we implement.
What next?
To find out more about Catch Up 4 Women, please call (03) 8599 5488 or email communityengagement@familylife.com.au
