Australia’s national base salary gender pay gap dropped to 13.3% in 2023 – the lowest on record. However, the total remuneration pay gap remains at 22.8%.
Although this is a small move in the right direction, experts across government, business and academia are united in agreement that more is needed to close the gap completely.
The Australian Government has responded with amendments to its Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme. From 1 July 2023, either parent can access up to 20 weeks of leave over 2 years and in blocks as small as one day, increasing steadily to 26 weeks by 2026.
While governments have a crucial responsibility to mandate gender equality in the workplace, Australia’s business community is leading much of the innovation and progress.