By Keeva Stratton
With women now making up over 45% of the Australian workforce, it would appear that gender equality is slowly being realised – but with the pay gap between men and women increasing, the reality is that the right to work is coming at a cost for women – that is, less pay.
According to new figures from the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA), on average, the Australian woman earns 18% less than her male counterpart, a 1.5% increase on last year’s figure.
The average weekly earnings of females working full-time were $1,091.30 per week or $239.30 per week less than their male counterparts, who earned an average of $1,330.60 per week in February 2010. This is a trend that is both disturbing and unacceptable; it is a backwards step in the move towards gender equality.
While time out for families has long been the catch cry of those trying to excuse the lower pay scale and slower progression of women into management and board levels, not only is this out-of-touch with a contemporary society that reflects a myriad of choices regarding the raising of children, but it also does not in any way explain why female graduates are, on average, $3000 per year worse off than their male equivalents.
Gender equality in the workplace is not merely about ideological ideals, it has a very real impact – both economically and socially – on our society. According to these figures, it is estimated that a 17% pay gap between men and women workers costs the Australian economy $93 billion each year. Lower incomes also increase dependancy on government support and increase the likelihood of financial disadvantage, particularly in retirement.
Nicole Cannon, the Director of Pink Finance, had the following advice for women who want to negotiate a better salary:
- Do some research. Get to know the standards for your industry and determine where you are placed compared to others in similar positions;
- Look at your KPI’s and measure your, or your team’s, performance. If you are a high ranking achiever then you are worth more;
- Arrange a formal appointment with your manager to discuss your areas of concern. Prepare what you would like to say, be honest and polite.
- Believe in yourself – this is the most important step. Know you are worth it.
There are also several other ways that you can help to reduce the pay gap. Employers can become more aware of any gaps by auditing their pay by gender and addressing any obvious differences – bonuses and fringe benefits should also be included.
Individuals can make their opinions felt by sending a kiss to Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard as part of the ‘No More Lip Service to Equal Pay’ campaign, or attend the Equal Pay Day of Action on June 10, or getting involved in an activity for Equal Pay Day on September 4.
There are no valid excuses for the pay gap to exist so long after women have paved their place in the economy – people should be paid on their qualifications and experience. In the last few decades women have become an equal contributor to the workforce – their qualifications have increased as has their participation, and this should be reflected in their earnings.
For more information visit:
www.eowa.gov.au/
www.payup.org.au/