Some Good News From The Latest Australian Data On Gender Equality

The gender pay gap is at a 20 year low and a record number of businesses are doing good, including the first national sporting organisation.

By Lara Robertson

Leadership

The gender pay gap is at a 20 year low and a record number of businesses are doing good, including the first national sporting organisation.

By Lara Robertson

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Finally, some good news! Last week, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) released new data on the gender pay gap in Australia, as well as their Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) list for 2018-19. This citation is awarded to Australian organisations that are leading the way towards gender equality. The citation’s seven focus areas include leadership, strategy and accountability; developing a gender balanced workforce; gender pay equity; support for caring; mainstreaming flexible work; preventing gender-based harassment and discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying; and driving change beyond the workplace. We know you would rather do anything other than delve into a 72 page report, so we’ve done the hard work for you. Here’s everything you need to know.

Australia’s Gender Pay Gap For Full-Time Workers Is At A 20 Year Low

The WGEA has announced the gender pay gap in Australia for full-time workers has fallen to 14.1 percent, down from 14.6 percent just six months ago. This is the lowest point the pay gap has reached in two decades. On average, Australian women working full-time earned $1455.80, per week while Australian men working full-time earned $1965.60. This means on average, an Australian woman working full-time earns $239.80 less than her male counterpart each week. That’s a difference of around $12,469.60 a year. While this is certainly huge progress in a short space of time, there is still much to be done. Pay parity can only be achieved when all employers begin analysing their pay data for pay gaps and address inherent issues such as bias.

A Record Number Of Australian Organisations Were Recognised

Each year, the WGEA awards their Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation to organisations who are leading the way in the gender equality space. The citation aims to encourage, recognise and promote commitment to achieving gender equality in Australian workplaces. This year, a record 141 Australian workplaces were awarded the citation, featuring 26 first-time recipients including Vodafone, Toyota, The Boston Consulting Group and L’Oreal Australia. Some of the key characteristics of this year’s Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) recipients include efforts to provide flexible work options, programs to promote or support women in leadership, the provision of parental leave policies for both men and women, supporting men’s caregiving responsibilities, initiatives to help women return to work after a career break, the analysis and correction of gender pay gaps, and setting targets to create gender parity in graduate intakes.

Including The First-Ever National Sporting Organisation To Make The Cut

The AFL made its debut on the list, marking the first-ever national sporting organisation to be awarded the citation, in recognition of its dedication to improving and promoting gender equality and diversity over the previous year. If you’re interested in gender equality in sports, don’t miss out on FW’s upcoming International Women’s Day Breakfast. The event features a huge line-up of female sporting superstars including Megan Schutt, bowler for the Australia Women’s Cricket Team and Adelaide Strikers; Courtney Gum, midfielder for the GWS Giants; Liz Cambage, basketballer for the Australian Opals and Dallas Wings of the WNBA; and Mel McLaughlin, sports presenter for Channel Seven.