By Emma Severin, Journalist & contributor
Women are paid less then men. It is a simple a fact, and we need to acknowledge it so that we can do something about it. You might ask, how is this fair? Well, short answer – it’s not fair – and it is certainly a problem that has affected the lives of many women around the world for years.
While there are these obvious wage gaps, there are a promising list of jobs where women can earn a lot of money. Jobs in law or as a judge can earn women an average of over $300,000, with a multitude of other jobs providing Australian women with the opportunity to earn over $200,000, including plastic and reconstructive surgeon, gastroenterologist, cardiologist, and specialist physicians.
In a 2017 article in the Herald Sun, the highest paid jobs for both Australian men and women were calculated, and the results are somewhat shocking. Male surgeons came out on top, with a “top salary of $577,674”¹, while for females, “judges led the pack earning $355,844”. This study concludes a rather large wage gap of $221,830 between males and females, with female neurosurgeons getting paid $253,992 less than their male counterparts “despite being the second highest-paid professional women”. Crazy, right?
Now, this may seem discouraging – and it is in many ways – but it is important that we don’t let it get us down. It is also important to understand why there is a gender wage gap, and how we can take action to ensure that the highest paid jobs are the same for both men and women.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency is a great resource for getting more information on the Australian gender pay gap. It recently revealed that “currently, Australia’s national gender pay gap is 15.3%. It has hovered between 15% and 19% for the past two decades”². Some factors that attribute to women being paid less include sex discrimination, years not working (interruptions), occupational segregation, and age.
While all this research shows some disheartening results, there are actions you can take in your workplace to help take the right steps towards resolving the issue:
Do your own research and stay informed.
Efficient job training – having access the effective training can create a drive for women to increase their skill development and progress in their careers.
Communication – talk to as many people as you can and keep the issue on everyone’s minds.
Culture change within the workplace – initiating a good culture within your workplace will help drive out any behaviours that may lead to a gender pay gap.
Give others support – for women who are moving into senior roles, it is so important that you show them support and admiration for taking a leap. Stay away from put-downs and make sure that women looking for senior roles feel encouraged and empowered.
There is also research out there that shows the benefits of gender diversity in the workplace, where ‘gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to outperform their peers and ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to do the same”³. You can’t argue with those facts!
It is easy to feel discouraged by the facts on Australian gender-pay gaps, but the more you talk about it, the more progress can be made toward women being paid the same as men.
Along with ensuring equal pay in the highest paying jobs for all Australians, don’t forget: you can be your own boss! Embarking on your own entrepreneurial can be very rewarding, as long as you work hard and believe in yourself as a strong woman in modern society.
We CAN bridge the gap, and we WILL!
Find out more information on the Australian gender pay gap at these links from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency:
https://www.wgea.gov.au/addressing-pay-equity/what-gender-pay-gap https://www.wgea.gov.au/wgea-newsroom/why-australian-women-are-still-being-paid-less-men
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-features/news-in-education/the-results-are-in-these-are-the-highestpaid-jobs-in-australia/news-story/fb036783ed8f947f7cf3460fd5332536
https://www.wgea.gov.au/addressing-pay-equity/what-gender-pay-gap
https://www.hcamag.com/features/diversity-beyond-a-tick-of-the-box-244570.aspx
