Participation in leadership and the workforce

Gender disparities persist in leadership as well as workforce and business participation. Structural barriers, such as caregiving responsibilities and limited access to flexible work arrangements, further hinder participation. Colonisation continues to impact Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women in workplaces as well, where whiteness is privileged and there is an intersection of racism and sexism.

Women are less likely to be in leadership positions, with women representing just 33% of governing bodies, 21% of board chairs and 35% of board members (for private sector employers over 100 employees).

In South Australia, 40% of all small business owners are women. However, women in business identify a range of factors, including caring for others, as barriers to growth, alongside accessing capital and assumptions about what a 'typical' business should look like.

What to consider

• Whether the policy or program provides opportunities to people of different genders and any ways in which different genders are more or less able to take up those opportunities.
• Whether policies promote equitable access to leadership roles and participation in the workforce and in business.
• Barriers, such as insufficient mentoring programs, unconscious bias in recruitment (including how unconscious gender bias intersects with other types of bias), and a lack of inclusive workplace policies.
• Targeted responses including mentoring opportunities, unconscious bias training, marketing that encourages diversity, or upgraded facilities.
• Opportunities that align to male or female dominated industries or business areas.

References

Workplace Gender Equality Agency, National Data Explorer – Snapshot, Australian Private Sector 2024–25

Office for Small and Family Business, Celebrating International Women’s Day 2024

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Recognise enterprising women in small and family business by removing bias and barriers