Australia's gender pay gap has hit a record low of 11.5%, a notable improvement from 13% last year and a big drop from nearly 19% a decade ago. This recent decrease marks the largest annual decline since 2016, showing real progress toward economic equality between men and women. While this is a step forward, there’s still work to do—on Equal Pay Day (August 19), we’re reminded that Australian women still need to work an extra 50 days to earn what men do annually.
This progress comes from an increase in women’s average earnings, not just a slowdown in men’s wage growth. Women working full-time now earn $231.50 less per week than their male counterparts, reflecting the current gap. The Albanese government credits this improvement to several targeted reforms, like banning pay secrecy clauses and requiring large companies to publicly report their gender pay gaps. These changes have helped close the gap faster in the private sector.
The government has also addressed gender bias in wage decisions by incorporating gender equity into the Fair Work Act. This has helped boost bargaining power in female-dominated fields like aged care, where 87% of workers are women, resulting in a significant pay rise. Similar efforts are underway for early childhood education workers, 95% of whom are female.
While there’s been progress, the gender pay gap remains high in sectors like healthcare (20%) and finance (18%), and in some industries, such as arts and utilities, the gap has even increased. But this may reflect more women entering male-dominated fields, which could eventually lead to more gender-balanced leadership.
Ultimately, while the recent gains are encouraging, there’s still a need for sustained effort to close the gap completely and create a more inclusive workforce for future generations.
Reference article: https://theconversation.com/australias-gender-pay-gap-has-hit-a-record-low-but-we-still-have-work-to-do-236894
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