Survey on quality of women's lives
Although all working people report they are suffering from more stress related to balancing responsibilities at work and at home, the greater burden is falling on women. Statistics reveal that women bear the brunt of duties associated with child care, are the primary caregivers for the elder care of aging parents and are responsible for the majority of household chores.
Now with an economic crisis of global proportions occurring, additional stressors will be placed on women. Studies show that during economical downturns, women suffer higher degrees of stress and often suffer more financial and employment consequences of a depressed economy.
It is no surprise that women are reporting the highest levels of stress, stress related illnesses, burnout and depression ever recorded. The impact of the situation reaches far beyond the workplace, home and personal well-being of women.
As demands increase, it becomes extremely difficult for women to find the time to volunteer in their community, get involved in their union or run for political office. Many union women report that they would be more actively involved in their locals or run for office if they had more time.
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) has been following this issue for several years. As a strong advocate of womens equality and womens leadership, NUPGE is undertaking a project to identify the issues and raise awareness of the problem.
In order to identify the issues, the National Union is conducting a survey which is directed to both union and non-union women.