SENATOR JENNY MCALLISTER

SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES

CHAIR, SENATE FINANCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFERENCES COMMITTEE

GENDER PAY GAP

Today's release by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency of Australia's Gender Equality Scorecard has highlighted the persistent and enduring gap between men and women’s wages and confirms that Australia’s workforce is as gender segregated as it was twenty years ago.

More than 60 per cent of Australian workers work in an industry that is dominated by one gender, an issue which is now to be examined by a Senate Committee.

"Australian men and women work in very different jobs, with very different pay rates," said Committee Chair, Labor Senator Jenny McAllister, who moved to initiate the inquiry. "It’s time to find out why."

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency released its annual review into gender segregation in August of this year. It found that occupational gender segregation has remained persistent over the last 20 years. Although there has been increasing numbers of women entering some male-dominated industries, heavily feminised sectors such as health care and education have become even more female-dominated than they were 20 years ago.

“Women struggle to achieve economic equality when they are concentrated into different occupations and industries from men,” said Senator McAllister.

“With the gender pay gap at much the same level it was two decades ago, this inquiry is a good opportunity to look at how the structure and composition of our workplaces affects economic outcomes for women.”

The Finance and Public Administration References Committee will look at the issue of gender segregation and its impact on economic equality.

Senator McAllister said: “I’m looking forward to us looking at what solutions there may be to gender segregation, and how we can help improve pay and conditions in undervalued, female-dominated industries.”

WEDNESDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 2016

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