WGEA Commonwealth Public Sector Gender Equality Scorecard

map of Australia with men and women on either side next to scorecard document

The Commonwealth Public Sector Gender Scorecard: Key Employer Results From 2022 provides a unique record of workplace gender equality in the Commonwealth Public Sector.

It features the results from WGEA’s Employer Census of Commonwealth public sector employers with 100 or more employees.

In late 2023, Commonwealth public sector employers reported to WGEA for the first time. WGEA received reports (covering the period 1 January to 31 December 2022) from a total of 116 employers, covering 338,951 employees. This Australian-first report examines the composition, pay and actions these employers are taking to drive gender equality. 

WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge

We invite employers to use this Scorecard as a guide for how to think about their own employees’ gender equality experience. What are they doing well and where is there room for improvement? WGEA is here to support employers and to work together to achieve a gender equal workplace experience for all Australian employees.

The big picture

  • of 339,951 employees, 43.5% are women and 56.3% are men
  • the gender pay gap is 13.5% and 50% of employer gender pay gaps are above 6.9%
  • on average, women earn 86 cents for ever dollar earned by men
  • this adds up to women earning $19,007 less than men per year
  • men are 2.5 times likely to be in the highest earning quartile than women
  • only 11% of universal parental leave is taken by men
  • 55% of employers have a gender-balanced board
  • 42% of Chairs are women

Want to learn more about these results and how you can apply them to your Agency or Department? WGEA is holding a Commonwealth public sector employer webinar. Find out the details and register to attend

Did you know that only 64% of Commonwealth public sector employers undertook a gender pay gap analysis? Of those only 64% took action on the findings. And just 9% of those created an Action Plan. Use the tools below to get ahead of the curve and accelerate gender equality in your workplace. 

On Thursday, 27 June 2024 at 12pm – 1pm, WGEA will host a one-hour webinar for Commonwealth public sector employers.

WGEA has a series of live masterclasses and live learning events to guide employers, deepen understanding of workplace gender equality, and narrow gender pay gaps.

Designed in partnership with the BETA, the Action Planning Tool helps reporting employers identify actions they can take to improve gender equality in their workplace