Women workers secure a higher wage rate
During World War II women entered the workforce to fill essential industry positions left vacant by men who had gone overseas to serve. They performed duties normally reserved for men such as farming, building and manufacturing. The women workers formed employment organisations to fight for better conditions and rights. In 1943 after intense lobbying, the government established the Women’s Employment Board and set the pay rate for women at 75% of men’s wages. Previous to this women received around 2/3 or less.
Following the war, women returned to their old positions. Many returned to lower paid jobs with fewer benefits and stricter working conditions, including the previous requirement to resign if they were married.
Global convention calls for equal pay for work of equal value
The United Nations’ International Labour Organisation released the Equal Remuneration Convention, stating that men and women are entitled to equal pay for work of equal value. Unions and the general public call on the government to ratify this in Australian law.
Equal pay applies to some women
The Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission introduced equal pay for women doing the same work as men. However, the decision excluded many jobs mainly performed by women and retained a general women’s award minimum wage of 85 per cent of the men’s rate.
The decision established an important principle, but most women did not immediately benefit.
Equal pay expands to equal pay for work of equal value
After unions continued to campaign for change, the Commission adopted the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. Award wages could now be assessed based on the work performed, regardless of the worker’s sex.
The decision broadened the 1969 principle, but its reach remained limited and employers sometimes reclassified jobs to avoid its effects.
The decision only applied to women working under federal awards which was about 40% of the workforce at the time. Union groups lobbied state governments to change their legislation to ensure the benefit flowed to all women employees. NSW was the first state to do so.
Equal pay for all Australians regardless of sex
In 1973 Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission granted an equal minimum wage to all Australians regardless of gender. The Commission also removed the ‘breadwinner’ clause from the minimum wage in recognition of the fact that Australian women were also providing for their families.
Australia ratifies international convention on women’s rights
After extensive public debate, Australia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The convention was adopted by the United Nations in 1979 and signed by Australia in 1980. Ratifying CEDAW committed Australia to ‘being a society that promotes policies, laws, organisations, structures and attitudes that ensure women are given the same rights as men’.
Australia prohibits sex discrimination
Australia passed the Sex Discrimination Act to enforce the rights enshrined in CEDAW. The changes were flagged by Bob Hawke in his electoral night speech in 1983.
The Act made it unlawful to discriminate against people because of their sex or other factors. But it omitted provisions for affirmative action. Instead, Affirmative Action for Women: A Discussion paper was presented to Parliament. The paper outlined the reasons for affirmative action and proposed a way forward. As a result of the paper, Australia conducted a pilot affirmative action program and established a working group.
Australia introduces affirmative action reporting (the beginning of WGEA)
Parliament passed the Affirmative Action (Equal Employment Opportunity for Women) Act 1986 and established the Affirmative Action Agency.
The legislation required certain employers to develop affirmative action programs and report annually on their progress. It marked a shift from prohibiting discrimination to requiring employers to take planned action.
For the first time, legislation asked employers to identify and address barriers to women’s workforce participation.
Bob Hawke 1985
It is my expectation that most large Australian companies will adopt a very responsible attitude towards their present and potential women employees and will not wait until they are bound by the letter of the law to start developing affirmative action strategies for improving women's job prospects.
Employer reporting shifts towards workplace outcomes
In 1999, Parliament passed the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act (EOWW Act). This Act replaced the Affirmative Action Act and the Affirmative Action Agency became the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency.
The EOWW Act removed the standardised eight-step model, requiring employers to identify their own gender and equal opportunity concerns and develop actions to address issues identified. It also developed an outcomes-focused reporting format and made employer education and consultation key objectives of the Agency.
Australian government reviews the legislation
The EOWW Act was reviewed. The review examined the effectiveness and efficiency of the legislation and the Agency in promoting equal opportunity for women in the workplace. It also considered opportunities to reduce the cost of existing regulation and provided practical advice on how to deliver better outcomes for Australian women
The Review of the EOWW Act Consultation Report was released in 2010. The Report highlighted that:
women continued to be over-represented in areas of study linked to lower earning industries, while men continued to be over-represented in areas of study linked to higher earning industries
female dominated industries had been historically undervalued
women were less likely to be in leadership positions within organisations
despite improvements, women’s earnings remained persistently lower than men.
It also raised issues with the EOWW Act, including that its focus was on women, coverage was insufficient, and penalties and sanctions were inadequate.
Workplace Gender Equality Act and WGEA established
Parliament passed the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 and the Agency was renamed the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
The legislation introduced standardised reporting against 6 Gender Equality Indicators for employers with 100 or more employees. Consistent reporting made it possible to compare employer results and track national progress over time. The legislation expanded the Agency’s advice, research and education functions. New Workplace Gender Equality Procurement Principles were released alongside making supplier compliance with the WGE Act a pre-condition of government procurement.
National reporting creates new evidence base
WGEA released the first results from its standardised employer reporting dataset, covering around 4 million Australian employees.
Employers also received confidential benchmark reports showing how their results compared with similar organisations. This helped employers identify areas for improvement and track the effects of their actions over time.
WGEA also began its Workplace Gender Equality Citation, a leading-practice recognition program that still exists today.
Review recommends stronger transparency and action
A 2021 review of the Workplace Gender Equality Act made 10 recommendations to accelerate progress on gender equality. The recommendations were accepted by Government and included greater transparency and accountability through WGEA publishing employer gender pay gaps and requiring CEOs to provide their employer summary and industry benchmark reports to the Board.
Commonwealth public sector reporting begins
Amendments to the Workplace Gender Equality Act required Commonwealth public sector employers with 100 or more employees to report to WGEA.
Reforms strengthen employer accountability
The Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Act 2023 implemented the transparency and accountability reforms recommended in the 2021 Review. made several changes based on the recommendations of the 2021 Review. This included requirements for employers to share their WGEA reports with their board, for WGEA to publish employer gender pay gaps and for employers with 500 or more employees to have a policy or strategy for each of the 6 Gender Equality Indicators. The amendments also made reporting on sexual harassment mandatory for the first time.
The legislative amendments delivered in part, or in full 6 of the 10 recommendations of the review.
WGEA publishes employer gender pay gaps
WGEA published individual employer gender pay gaps for the first time in February 2024. This gave employees, employers and the public greater visibility of pay outcomes across Australian workplaces.
The first release focused on median employer gender pay gaps. Subsequent releases included average gaps and remuneration for chief executive officers, heads of business and casual managers.
Large employers must select and make progress against gender equality targets
Parliament passed the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Setting Gender Equality Targets) Act 2025. The legislation requires employers with 500 or more employees to select 3 gender equality targets and meet, or improve against, them during a 3-year target cycle.
The reforms strengthened the shift from reporting workplace data to acting on it.
Employers selected their first targets in 2026.
The future
Australia has made significant progress towards workplace gender equality, but the work is not finished. Industry segregation, unequal access to leadership opportunities and take up of flexible work persist. WGEA will keep working to deliver regulatory excellence, turn Australia’s world-leading data into action and accelerate workplace change through partnership with employers and stakeholders.