Gender Pay Gap

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%. 

The national gender pay gap remains stable at 14.0%, a drop of just 0.1pp over the last six months. This year, [Un] Equal Pay Day will be on 28 August 2019, marking the 59 additional days from the end of the previous financial year that women must work, on average, to earn the same amount as men earned that year.

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.

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

Unfortunately, this year we have witnessed too many stories about high profile women being harassed online as they strive for success in their careers. 

The highest paid men in Australia are being paid at least $162,000 more than the highest paid women, but women could be on par with men in most management roles within the next two decades, our latest Gender Equity Insights report shows.

Friday 8 March 2019 is International Women’s Day. This year’s theme, Balance for Better, is an opportunity to reflect on the areas where balance can better our communities, workplaces and personal lives. Here are some key facts about balance for women and work in Australia.