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In 2019, [Un] Equal Pay Day falls on Wednesday 28 August, marking the additional 59 day’s women have to work from the end of the last financial year to earn the same amount as men. [Un]Equal Pay Day is a symbolic indicator of the significance of the national gender pay gap and why it matters for Australian women.

The gender pay gap – while it looks like just a number on a page, it means so much more in reality. Ahead of Equal Pay Day this Wednesday 28 August 2019, it is important that we take a step back and really look at what the gender pay gap means for you, your family, your workplace and Australia.

Last month, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (‘the Agency’) published a quiz testing the public’s knowledge on the gender pay gap. Since its release, the Agency has received over 500 responses. The average score was 71% - 9.2 out of 13. Around one in five respondents scored within 90%-100%. 

US President Harry S Truman once said “if you can’t convince them, confuse them”. And right now, there is confusion out there. Confusion which is fanning an inferno of misinformation about the concept of equal pay and the concept of the gender pay gap. These two notions are very different and it is time to set the record straight.

Never has the spotlight on unequal pay in professional sport shone quite so brightly as in the past month. The FIFA Women’s World Cup in France saw the reigning world champions, team USA, take out a back-to-back world title – the culmination of a commanding campaign that including a devastating 13-0 win over Thailand.

When we look back at 2019 so far, it is clear there is growing interest in equality for female athletes. There has been much focus on equal representation, equal opportunities and, the big one, equal pay for our female athletes.

Over the past five years of reporting, acting on gender equality and identifying pay inequality within organisations has increased.

More men are finding themselves caught in the crosshairs between two diverging expectations: traditional breadwinner and modern father.

At Diageo, from 1 July 2019 all Australian employees will be eligible to take 26 weeks paid family leave regardless of gender, carer status or length of service.

Flexible work is good for business and good for employees. The evidence is clear. To celebrate 22 May, Flexible Working Day, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (‘WGEA’) is asking all organisations to think about how they could become a little ‘flexier’.