It’s Equal Pay Day but Australia’s Gender Pay Gap Has Widened to 14.2 Per Cent

Trigger warning: this article discusses gender discrimination.

The world seems to be doing its best right now to economically recover from the effects of COVID-19 and its subsequent lockdowns, but from the looks of things, one massive group of Aussies is being left behind.

The latest figures from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency show that in just the past six months, Australia’s gender pay gap has widened to a whopping 14.2 per cent—rising 0.8 per cent in that short time.

With today being Equal Pay Day, it’s a great opportunity to discuss what the gender pay gap is, what kind of impact COVID-19 has had on it, and why this is still happening in 2021.

What is the gender pay gap?

For context, the gender pay gap (GPG) refers to the difference in average weekly full-time equivalent earnings between people who identify as women, and people who identify as men expressed as a percentage of people who identify as men’s earnings.

Basically, it’s just a breakdown of how much less people who identify as women earn compared to people who identify as men.

While gender discrimination or bias can be one cause for the difference in pay, there are many factors that influence the gap. These include:

• Discrimination and bias in hiring and pay decisions.
• Women and men working in different industries and different jobs, with female-dominated industries and jobs attracting lower wages.
• Women’s disproportionate share of unpaid caring and domestic work.
• Lack of workplace flexibility to accommodate caring and other responsibilities, especially in senior roles.
• Women’s greater time out of the workforce impacting career progression and opportunities.

What does the GPG mean for working women in Australia?

If you’ve never worked before or you don’t know much about the GPG, it means some pretty disappointing things for Aussie women.

As of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s latest results, the GPG in Australia is at 14.2 per cent.

This means that on average, people who identify as women earn $261.50 per week less than men. To put that into perspective, that’s a whopping $13,598 a year.

The GPG is a global problem, but when it comes to Australia specifically, the state or territory with the highest GPG is Western Australia at 21.9 per cent.

As for industry, professional, scientific, and technical services show the highest gap at 25.3 per cent.

With the gender pay gap where it is right now, current estimates say it will take an extra 61 days after the end of the financial year for Australian women to keep up with Australian men’s annual pay. That’s about two months of extra work.

On top of that, some sources have reported that it could take another 26 years for Australia to completely close the gender pay gap, which is a really grim statistic.

Our Watch Chief Executive Patty Kinnersly told the SBS that there is a clear link between the GPG and violence against women.

"Tragically, we have seen since the onset of COVID-19 a rise in the incidence and severity of domestic and family violence," she said.

"Making sure that women are not left behind in the economic recovery from COVID will benefit the whole of our community.

"We need governments to apply a gendered approach to all policies, for example ensuring that economic stimulus packages do not disproportionately benefit male-dominated industries."

She also urged workplaces to do better, supporting calls by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency for self-commissioned gender pay audits.

"All women deserve to be not only safe but respected, valued and treated equally. That is a fundamental human right," she said.

What can I do if I experience gender bias or unequal pay in the workplace?

If you feel that you are being treated unfairly at work because of your gender, do your best to speak up to your boss or HR.

You can also join your local union for extra support or make a complaint to the Fair Work Commission.

For more information on gender pay equity head to the Fair Work Ombudsman website to find out more.

If you identify as male and feel that your female colleagues are being treated unfairly, check-in, support, and speak up where you can.

Are you experiencing suicidal thoughts, sexual assault or domestic and family violence? Seeking to support someone who is? Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

Visit ReachOut to get support to help you with everything from everyday issues through to tough times.

Header Image: Elisa Ventur via Unsplash