By Nigel McBride, chief executive, Business SA

How often do you walk into any business and see a woman in her mature years working there? Have you compared the number of women working in their late 50s and 60s compared to men, and whether they have meaningful jobs?

The contrast really struck me in a recent visit to Japan. After a few days my wife and I remarked to each other how refreshing it was to see so many mature age people proudly at work.

But there’s a nagging feeling among many mature women in Australia – and we’re not saying ‘older’ because it can have negative connotations – that once they surpass even the ‘big 5-0’ it’s very difficult to find meaningful work. That’s in the 21st century where, in every sense, 50 really is ‘the new 40.’

Whether the bias is entrenched in our culture or younger men don’t want to employ women who remind them of their mothers, conscious or unconscious, there’s a real problem in our community when it comes to employing the fairer sex once they reach a certain age.

I recently caught up with the SA Ambassador for Mature Women, Dr Susan Mitchell, who fills the only such state-funded role in the nation. Susan has interviewed dozens of women about their job search experiences and the serious ramifications when they hit a brick wall.

The most frightening aspect of unemployment for a mature woman, particularly if she has been through a marriage breakdown or is a single parent, is being at risk of homelessness because she cannot afford to pay rent or sky-rocketing bills while supporting dependents.

According to Susan, over the past five years the number of women aged over 50 who are unemployed and facing homelessness has risen by 40 per cent.

With regular rejections people can fall into cycles of low self-esteem and depression. It can be tough attending interviews to be rejected as the hirer can’t get past the face value of wanting ‘someone younger'.

Extending the pension age to 70 will only exacerbate the problem. If women can, and want to, retire earlier, that’s fantastic for them. But many don’t have that choice, struggle to find a job, and increasingly struggle to cope.  

Tackling unconscious and conscious bias is the first step towards solving the problem. Many women are fantastic multi-taskers, they could rival the UN for conflict management skills, and with age generally comes wisdom. They also appreciate their job more than many others.

So why don’t we value mature working women, their skills and their work ethic? Why don’t we recognise their life experiences and their natural ability to mentor younger co-workers?

Grants for mature women to start their own businesses is another solution. If women struggle to find jobs in administration, why not start a home-based, online admin service? Or book-keeping? Or a personal concierge service?

A specialist recruitment firm which recognises and values maturity would also be a fantastic idea.

Let’s challenge the blindness of illogical bias and make some smarter decisions. Out of a wide field of applicants I recently hired a woman in her early 60s as my executive assistant. She is outstanding.