The Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s ‘Equal Pay Day’ will be held on the 25th of August. This date marks the 56 additional days from the end of the financial year that women must work in order to match men’s earnings.
This annual event serves as a reminder of the enduring gender wage gap that persists in industries worldwide, and emphasises that the 56 days of missing pay, matter.
CEO of Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), Mary Woolridge described the day as a call to action in a recent media release.
“For women in Australia, the gender pay gap matters. It represents missing money that could be spent to meet everyday costs of living.”
“What’s missing matters. It matters for individuals, it matters for families, and it matters for Australia,” Woolridge said.
According to the WGEA, men working full-time earned an average of $1,907.10 per week, while women earned an average of $1,653.60.
This disparity adds up to $13,182 annually.
In the healthcare industry, the gender pay gap remains a significant barrier to pay equity.
According to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, despite women making up 89% of the nursing industry, male nurses continue to be paid $263.90 more per week than female nurses.
Beth, an enrolled nurse, has noticed the gender pay gap firsthand in the healthcare sector.
“I don’t think the healthcare industry is doing enough to support women, we need equal pay,” Beth said.
“I’ve noticed in my hospital, that my male colleagues are receiving more pay than me. It makes me extremely disappointed that we still live in a world where men are paid more than women just to do the same job.”
Equal Pay Day is a reminder that there is still more work to be done in bridging the gender pay gap across industries and sectors nationwide.
To get involved with the social media campaign, use the hashtags #whatsmissingmatters #equalpayday #closethegenderpaygap.