Economic status

Women continue to earn less than men, are less likely to advance their careers as far as men, and are more likely to spend their final years in poverty.¹

Research has shown that closing the gap between men and women's employment rates would boost the level of Australia's GDP by 11%.² In addition, companies operating with a gender-balance actually enhance their innovation and gain a competitive advantage.³

Removing disincentives for women to enter the paid workforce would increase the size of the Australian economy by about $25 billion per year.⁴

In this section you can learn more about the issues affecting women's employment and economic status in South Australia.

Equal Pay

Equal pay is where women and men are paid the same for performing the same work or different work of equal or comparable value.

In Australia, this has been a legal requirement since 1969.

The gender pay gap

The gender pay gap shows the difference between the average pay of women and men across organisations, industries and the workforce as a whole.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Workplace Gender Equality Agency shows that men earn more than women in every industry and job type in Australia.

This pay gap leads to lower lifetime earnings for women and affects their financial security, especially as they get older.

The gender pay gap is caused by several factors such as sex discrimination, time spent out of work, part-time work and women's age.

More information

What is the gender pay gap? (Workplace Gender Equality Agency - WGEA)
Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA)
Gender Pay Gap Guide (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

Flexible Work

Many people, especially women, find it hard to balance work with caring for family and others.

Flexibility in work is important for both men and women, as it challenges traditional gender roles. Flexible work options help people manage both work and caregiving while staying employed. These arrangements benefit both employees and employers, improving business practices, innovation, and accountability.

Flexible work can include options like working from home, adjusting hours, working longer days for shorter weeks, or split shifts.

More information:

Flexibility at Work Office for the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment
'The transformative landscape of flexible working' Kronos Australia research into flexible work
A Strategic Approach to Workplace Flexibility Workplace Gender Equality Agency

Gender Neutral Recruitment Guidelines

Gender-neutral recruitment means ignoring the gender of applicants when hiring to reduce bias and increase the number of women in leadership and male-dominated fields.

For years, getting more women into the workforce was seen as a matter of equality. Today, it is also considered an economic benefit.

We have written Guidelines for Gender Neutral Recruitment (PDF 771.9 KB) to help organisations when they are hiring.

The information can be provided in an alternative format or another language on request. Email OFWInformation@sa.gov.au

Paid Parental Leave

Australia's Paid Parental Leave scheme offers 18 weeks of leave for eligible parents after the birth or adoption of a child. It is fully funded by the government, paid at the minimum wage, and taxed as income. This leave is in addition to any employer-funded leave. The scheme supports women to stay connected to the workforce while raising children and aims to boost women's workforce participation.

Dad and Partner Pay

Dad and Partner Pay, available since January 2013, gives eligible fathers and partners two weeks of paid leave at the minimum wage to care for a newborn or adopted child. This includes same-sex couples and adoptive parents.

Keeping in Touch days - staying connected to the workplace

Keeping in Touch days let employees on unpaid parental leave return to work for a few days to stay updated, refresh skills, and prepare to return. Employees on unpaid leave get 10 days, paid at their normal wage, without affecting their leave. If they extend their leave beyond 12 months, they can take 10 more days. Activities during these days may include planning, training, or attending a conference.

Relevant Links:

Paid Parental Leave Services Australia
Paid Parental Leave Fair Work Ombudsman
Dad and Partner Pay Services Australia
Keeping in Touch Days Fair Work Ombudsman

Statistics

Gender Indicators, Australia Australian Bureau of Statistics
Gender Equality Data and Statistics The World Bank
Generate your own reports and compare workforce data for industries, occupations, and regions in South Australia using the About Skills SA website

Superannuation

Women can face unique challenges when it comes to retirement savings. Lower pay, time out of the workforce to raise children and running a single-parent household can make it challenging to build a reasonable amount of superannuation.

Women also tend to live longer than men, making it even more essential for them to accumulate enough superannuation to last through retirement.

Workplace Gender Equality data shows that a gender pay gap in average annual earnings for full-time permanent employees results in an annual shortfall in superannuation contributions for women compared to men.

In 2017–18, the median superannuation balance at, or approaching, preservation age (55 to 64 years) was $119,000 for women and $183,000 for men.

More information:

Gender Indicators, Australia: Superannuation Australian Bureau of Statistics
MoneySmart: Superannuation and Women ASIC
The Facts About Women and Super Women in Super

References

Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA)
Goldman Sachs JBWere, Australia's Hidden Resource: The Economic Case for Increasing Female Participation (2009), p2.
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, 'Why Japan's Talent Wars Now Hinge on Women', Harvard Business Review Blog Network, 9 December 2013
The Grattan Institute, Game-changers: Economic reform priorities for Australia (2013), p39.

Page last updated : 03 Dec 2024

Office for Women acknowledges and respects Aboriginal peoples as the State’s first peoples and nations and recognises Aboriginal peoples as traditional owners and occupants of the lands and waters in South Australia.

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