Women and girls make up just over half (50.7%) of the Australian population. While women comprise roughly 47% of all employees in Australia, they take home on average $251.20 less than men each week (full-time adult ordinary earnings). The national gender "pay gap" is 15.3% and it has remained stuck between 15% and 19% for the past two decades.
In 2017, Australia was ranked 35th on a global index measuring gender equality, slipping from a high point of 15th in 2006. While Australia scores very highly in the area of educational attainment, there is still a lot of progress to be made in the areas of economic participation and opportunity and political empowerment.
So, what are we missing? Why do we have so many highly educated women but still have a pay gap and unequal representation in senior management? The number of women on the Boards of ASX-listed companies grew from 8.3% in 2009 to 26.2% in 2017 but while very positive, this percentage is hardly representative of the broader population.
McKinsey & Co's recent Women in the Workplace 2018 study tracks a similar dilemma in the US. The study states:
"The two biggest drivers of representation are hiring and
While it is convenient to point to the
International Women's Day is on Friday, 8 March.