This year, August 19 points to the gender pay gap in Australia, with 2024’s theme ‘it doesn’t add up.’
Equal pay is when every person receives equal pay for equal or comparable work. It’s been a legal requirement in Australia since 1969.
Every year, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) calculates the gap using Australian Bureau of Statistics average weekly earnings data.
Although this year’s base salary gender pay gap is down to 10.4% in Victoria, and 11.5% Australia-wide, the size of the gender pay gap still means that it will take an extra 50 days of work, on average, for women to earn the same salary as men.
Despite the base salary pay gap lowering from previous years, for every dollar on average men earned, women earned 89 cents. That's $238 less than men each week.
Further grim statistics from 2022 suggest that in Australia, the gender pay gap for women of colour is estimated to be more than double the national average, sitting at 33-36%.
Women have been fighting for equality and effective action on the gender pay gap for many years- and it still doesn’t add up!
The Victorian public sector aims to halve the gender pay gap within five years through the implementation of the Gender Equality Act 2020. Let’s continue to work together to even the playing field and end the gender pay gap.
Victoria’s gender equality strategy and action plan is our roadmap for the next steps of action in gender equality.
Explore the Victorian gender equality strategy at Our equal state: Victoria’s gender equality strategy and action plan 2023–2027.