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 Home : Pay Equity : General Information Stats


Pay equity is commonly defined as
'equal remuneration for work of equal or
comparable value'

The principle of Equal Pay was established in the 1969 and 1972 Australian Federal equal pay cases, yet equality in men's and women's wages is still far from being achieved.

The gender pay gap is measured as the difference between male and female earnings expressed as a percentage of male earnings.1

ABS statistics released in May 2011 show that across Australia, women's average full-time weekly earnings are now 17.2% less than men’s.2 This is an increase of 0.2 percentage points from 17.0% in the previous quarter, November 2010.

When part-time and casual work is taken into consideration, the total earnings gap between men and women is 34.9%.3

If current earning patterns continue, the average 25 year old male would earn $2.4 million over the next 40 years while the average 25 year old female would earn $1.5 million.4

The gender pay gap has a significant impact on women's lifetime earnings. Women are two and half times more likely to live in poverty in their old age than men, and by 2019 - on average - women will have half the amount of superannuation that men have.5

A large component of the gap in earnings remains "unexplained".  Some of the key causes of the gender pay gap include:

  • The segregated types of work that women do

  • The low value placed on the work women do

  • The unequal distribution of overtime, discretionary pay and allowances; and promotional opportunities

  • The impact of caring  responsibilities on women's patterns of work

  • The lack of investment in women through training and development

  • Stereotypical views about women's abilities and roles

Click here to access factsheets, statistics, reports and links

1 OECD, Family database: Definitions and methodology, available at:

http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/29/63/38752746.pdf

2 ABS, Category 6302.0, Average Weekly Earnings - Trend, February 2011 (released 19.05.11) available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6302.0Feb%202011?OpenDocument

3 Ibid

4 AMP NATSEM (2009), ‘She works hard for the money: Australian women and the gender divide,” Income and Wealth Report, Issue 22

5 Ibid
 
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Did You Know...
Women are significantly over-represented in low-paid, low-status work.
And
Over 98% of surveyed organisations reporting to EOWA with part-time managers said their company had experienced benefits as a result, including increased productivity and efficiency, (71%), higher morale and job satisfaction (91%), and good staff relations (92%).